Ramona and I have just completed 'basic training' for our new, soon-to-be-launched Wear-Dated website [stay tuned for more on that!], with Integrity, our web developers.
At dinner the night before, I got to talking with Integrity about a study I came across from the Carpet and Rug Institute about carpet in schools. More specifically, carpet significantly enhances acoustics in learning environments, improving the opportunity to learn. It improves communication and helps focus attention.
[Note - Acoustical Characteristics Of Carpet Technical Bulletin provides data on how effective carpet is at absorbing sound and muffling background noise. Beware, it's a bit dry.]
From schools, we moved onto to work spaces. John Simanowitz brought up that Integrity would be moving in a few months and that the new space featured carpet [among other important things].
[Subscribers, please follow this YouTube link to view the video.]
Have you thought about how sound affects your productivity? Some background noise - from a favorite radio station or your iPod - may increase it, whereas too much can seriously detract from it, making your irritable and quite frustrated. I notice it in my home office space - I must have classical music playing to concentrate - as well as where my daughter does her homework.
What are your thoughts?
Previous episodes can be viewed by clicking on these links:
+ A Foot's Perspective - Episode 3
+ A Foot's Perspective - Episode 2
+ A Foot's Perspective - Episode 1
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Christine,
ReplyDeleteInteresting you mentioned schools and carpet....As you probably know, the namesake for Wear-Dated's "Doc Awards" was a leader in the initial sales effort to specify carpet in new school construction. One of his favorite carpets was a woven thru-the -back velvet weave 3-ply 42 oz Acrilan called Bold Voyage by Lees. It did absorb sound but, man, would it get dirty. Bob Dougherty was a very funny man and spoke at many national school conventions on the sound absorption, wear-life, maintenance and comfort of carpet in school classrooms.
Ray Cross, Wear-Dated Marketing Rep
Ray,
ReplyDeleteI did not know that! I also didn't realize that he was involved with Acrilan carpet, although that would make sense as the Acrilan carpet business used to be much bigger than the nylon business - many moons ago.
It's fun, too, that there is renewed appreciation for all that Doc promoted in schools.
Thanks for this wonderful perspective.