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PRIVATE SPACE

When designing for privacy, it is key to take into consideration both visual and

acoustic privacy. For fully private environments and spaces, we will want to have
both. However, to maintain a level of openness or for semi-private spaces, we

can reduce and play with the amount of privacy on either end. For example,

spaces that are low on visual privacy but high on audio privacy can still convey a
sense of transparency in the organization we can think of clear glass meeting

rooms. On the other hand, spaces high on visual privacy but low on audio privacy

could be great for solo, focused work, creating small private office, where people

can knock away at their work but still feel connected to the rest of the team
through sound. When we think about privacy, we typically think about visual

privacy. What we cannot see, we do not know. Visual privacy involves hiding or

shielding people or objects from view. Some designers have taken a different
approach, opting for audio privacy instead. Audio privacy reduces or completely

cuts out sound. A common example of audio privacy is glass meeting rooms.

While others can look in and see the people in the meeting talking, they would
not know what the details of the meeting are. Other ways to increase audio

privacy are also increasingly being adopted. Sound absorbers are being designed

as functional art pieces strategically in a space to create sound pockets. They can
cover the private conversations in a workplace.

SPACE IN ARCHITECTURE 62