
Acoustic Treatment for Hospitals: What the Specification Needs to Cover
Acoustic treatment for hospitals is consistently under-specified. WHO guidelines set a ceiling of 35 dBA for patient-occupied areas during the day, 30 dBA at night. Most hospital wards run at 50–60 dBA under normal operation, with ICUs running higher still, because equipment noise alone pushes well past the threshold before any human activity is added. For patients with limited physiological reserves, that gap shows up as disrupted sleep and slower recovery. For the architect on


































