ABSTRACT
The importance of the acoustic environment in buildings is often overlooked. Acoustic comfort, however, is as important as thermal or visual comfort since there is a quite apparent significance of the acoustic environment quality in leisure situations. It must be emphasised that the decision whether to use an air-conditioning system or passive control of the indoor climate instead has considerable acoustic implications in a tropical setting. Sound differs from other components of the environment in that it is both a passive and active element of our interactive contact with the surroundings. Furthermore, sound waves are not a part of the electromagnetic spectrum; their origin is purely mechanical and they travel relatively slowly through the air.
