Acoustic Comfort in Universities in Brazil: The Challenge of Professional Training

Acoustic comfort is an essential element in the performance of buildings, but its approach in universities still presents deficiencies. A critical factor is the lack of experienced and practice teachers, which restricts teaching to theoretical, basic and superficial concepts, without connection to real market challenges. As a consequence, many professionals entered the market without understanding the importance of acoustic comfort and without preparation to apply it correctly in projects, resulting in failures, discomfort for users and rework. This study aims to analyze the education plan of the acoustic comfort discipline of the five architecture universities best ranked in ENADE (National Student Performance Exam). The reduced workload, unprepared teachers and the lack of awareness about the relevance of acoustics reinforce the need for structural changes in academic training. It is concluded that a dialogue is needed for curricular restructuring, increasing the workload, integration with other design disciplines and qualifying the teaching staff are fundamental measures for quality professional training and ensuring acoustic comfort in the buildings.