By Liz Peters

Do you hear what I hear? Are you listening?

July 18 marks the birth of R. Murray Schafer, a Canadian composer and founder of the movement of acoustic ecology, which focuses on how humans interact with and respond to the sounds in their environment. Deemed World Listening Day in 2010, it raises awareness of the importance of listening to the world around us–and a time to hear something new.

Within the WELL Building Standard, the Sound concept aims to bolster people’s health and well-being through the identification and mitigation of acoustical comfort parameters that shape our experiences in the built environment, promoting reduction of harmful or distracting noise through various building elements, surface finish treatments and enhanced noise control.

IWBI caught up recently with Ethan Bourdeau, Sound Concept Lead on our Standard Development team, to discuss the nuts and bolts of sound, how it differs from noise and the ultimate power of listening–with some inspiration to take to heart (and our ears!).

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Listen to the podcast here.

International WELL Building Institute

International WELL Building Institute

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL Standard) and WELL ratings and certifications, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

IWBI is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate citizenship initiative, and helps companies advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the use of WELL.

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