Optimizing the classroom Space Design for Intellectually Disabled Students Based on the Analysis of the Acoustic Environment

Abstract

The present study focuses primarily on the effects of designing a rounded corner classroom for intellectually disabled students in primary schools based on the reverberation time and noise level. Usually, straight 90-degree edges are used for classroom corners, but rounded edges for walls and furniture are more comfortable and help to ensure students safety. Therefore, this study examines how a rounded-edge classroom design for walls and furniture affects additive babble and environmental noise level conditions in primary school classrooms for intellectually disabled students. The study compares the two classroom designs (rounded and right-angle corners) covering the same area with different variable factors to improve students’ performance. The computer software program ODEON and the MATLAB programming language were primarily used to investigate the two models. These models were used to predict five design scenarios’ impact to assess acoustic behavior with and without furniture on intellectually disabled students learning. The findings reveal that the proposed model with rounded corner walls and furniture and a high and sloped ceiling performs better than the regular classroom model. The study also confirms that a better study environment can be created for intellectually disabled students to study alongside regular students.