The Nature of Soundscaping
Sourced from OfficeSpace
Habitat Soundscaping’s Evan Benway reveals how nature-inspired audio and visuals are increasing productivity and decreasing stress levels in the physical workplace.
There’s something about hearing a river flowing and birds singing as you take a leisurely stroll through a park on a sunny day that quells the mind. On the most hectic of days in the office, getting just 10 minutes to decompress outside offers a sense of relaxation that can make you immediately more productive when you return. Now imagine if you could bring that same sensation inside the office.
Evan Benway, Director of Product and Product Owner of Habitat Soundscaping by Plantronics, has solved that puzzle and created a revolutionary soundscaping system that integrates nature-inspired audio and visuals that have had a positive impact on the physical workplace.
Could you start off by telling us a little bit about your professional background and how you initially got into the field of soundscaping?
Benway: I got into this field by connecting several of my passions, one of which is conducting research. I came to Plantronics in order to research sound and the effects of acoustics on people working in open offices. This began as pure research, but as we began to publish our findings, it became clear that we were onto something that could be of use to others outside of Plantronics. This led me to product development, invention, and authoring over ten patents for the company along the way.
I’ve also been a life-long musician. Both my parents are classical musicians — I was the rebellious one and went for jazz. I’ve always had a huge passion for sound and found a way to combine that with my professional career, using user experience research to develop solutions to the problems related to acoustics in the built environments where we now spend the majority of our lives.
From the Living Architecture Monitor
