THE IMPACT OF INTEGRATING ACOUSTIC SURFACE MATERIAL DESIGN INTO INTERIOR SPACE PLANNING FOR HYBRID LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

The adoption of hybrid teaching and learning has transformed the planning and design of higher education learning environments, requiring classroom interiors to support both face-to-face and remote instruction. However, inadequate acoustic conditions remain a major challenge, reducing speech intelligibility and limiting effective communication. This study investigates the role of interior surface material design in integrating acoustic considerations into the space planning of hybrid classrooms that accommodate conventional and collaborative learning. A combination of field measurements and acoustic simulations was conducted to evaluate the effects of wall and ceiling treatments on reverberation time (RT), speech transmission index (STI), and speech clarity (C50). The findings demonstrate that strategically designed surface materials significantly improve acoustic performance and speech intelligibility. The study provides evidence-based design strategies for interior space planning to create hybrid learning environments that enhance communication and teaching and learning experiences.