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

Authors

  • Abdul Wafi Razali Department of Quantity Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK
  • Asrul Sani Abdul Razak Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, UNIVERSITI MALAYA
  • Raha Sulaiman Department of Building Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, UNIVERSITI MALAYA
  • Musli Nizam Yahya Department of Transportation Engineering Technology, Faculty of Engineering Technology, UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA
  • Nazli Che Din Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, UNIVERSITI MALAYA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i44.2304

Keywords:

Hybrid Classroom, Classroom Acoustic, Space Planning

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.

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Published

2026-10-07

How to Cite

Razali, A. W., Abdul Razak, A. S., Sulaiman, R., Yahya, M. N., & Che Din, N. (2026). THE IMPACT OF INTEGRATING ACOUSTIC SURFACE MATERIAL DESIGN INTO INTERIOR SPACE PLANNING FOR HYBRID LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. PLANNING MALAYSIA, 24(44). https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i44.2304

Issue

Vol. 24 (2026): PLANNING MALAYSIA JOURNAL : Volume 24, Issue 5, 2026

Section

Article

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