Advancing Low-Carbon Buildings Through Integrative Acoustic Educational Architectural Design

Early-stage acoustic design decisions may affect both carbon and energy performance, yet architectural education often treats acoustics and sustainability as separate concerns. This exploratory pilot study examined four comparable student projects developed by 13 students in the Building Utilities 2 course at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. Using Revit Insight simulations, the study compared total carbon, embodied carbon, operational carbon, and annual energy use intensity before and after acoustic design interventions. The results varied across projects: Group 2 achieved the strongest reductions in total carbon, operational carbon, and annual energy use intensity, Groups 1 and 4 showed smaller or mixed improvements, and Group 3 showed no meaningful change in the main performance indicators. The findings also revealed embodied-carbon trade-offs, as some operational improvements were accompanied by increases in material-related carbon. These outcomes suggest that acoustic interventions do not produce uniform performance benefits; rather, their effects depend on material selection, intervention scope, baseline design characteristics, and the simulation inputs affected by each project. As an exploratory educational case study, the study indicates that simulation-based acoustic design activities can help students examine relationships among acoustic performance, material decisions, operational energy, and carbon outcomes, although student learning was not directly measured. Future studies should include larger samples, standardized reporting of simulation assumptions, and direct learning assessment to evaluate students’ understanding of the relationship between acoustic design, sustainability, and building performance.