Group rooms fall under DIN 18041 room group A with a short, volume-dependent target value: children understand speech less well in reverberant rooms, and the level rises with the reverberation. The calculator starts with 144 m³ (Group room in day care, care home, senior home), target value 0.52 s (0.42 to 0.62), and suggests the area needed from 2,004 products with measured data.
Target values by standard
Target values for group rooms in three room sizes. The target value applies as the average of 500 and 1,000 Hz.
| Standard | Use | 100 m³ | 150 m³ | 250 m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIN 18041, group ADIN 18041:2016-03 | Group room in day care, care home, senior home (A3) | 0.47 s (0.38 to 0.56) | 0.53 s (0.42 to 0.63) | 0.60 s (0.48 to 0.72) |
| ÖNORM B 8115-3ÖNORM B 8115-3:2023-07 | Kindergarten group room (Kommunikation) | 0.47 s (0.38 to 0.56) | 0.53 s (0.42 to 0.63) | 0.60 s (0.48 to 0.72) |
| UNI 11532-2, schools (Italy)UNI 11532-2:2020 | Dining room, classroom and changing room in nursery and kindergarten (A6.5) | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s |
| Arrêté du 25 avril 2003, educationArrêté du 25 avril 2003 | Rest, exercise or play room (nursery school) | 0.60 s (0.40 to 0.80) | 0.60 s (0.40 to 0.80) | 0.60 s (0.40 to 0.80) |
| BB93, schoolsBuilding Bulletin 93 (2015) | Nursery school room | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s |
| SS 25268, schools (Sweden)SS 25268:2023 | Craft room, preschool play room | at most 0.40 s | at most 0.40 s | at most 0.40 s |
| BR18, schools, day care, offices (Denmark)BR18 (2018) mit Vejledning om lydforhold | Day-care living room | at most 0.40 s | at most 0.40 s | at most 0.40 s |
| SFS 5907, classes A1 and A2 (Finland)SFS 5907:2022 | Day-care group or rest room (A2) | 0.60 s (0.50 to 0.70) | 0.60 s (0.50 to 0.70) | 0.60 s (0.50 to 0.70) |
| NBN S 01-400-2, schools (Belgium)NBN S 01-400-2:2012 | Kindergarten play and rest room | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s |
| PN-B-02151-4, reverberation and speech intelligibility (Poland)PN-B-02151-4:2015-06 | Nursery or kindergarten room | at most 0.40 s | at most 0.40 s | at most 0.40 s |
Typical measures
- Class A acoustic ceiling, robust and wipeable.
- Wall absorbers above reach height, on two walls that do not face each other.
- Textiles and carpet lower the level, but do not replace the ceiling.
- Recalculate sleeping room and corridor per room, they are separate uses.
Acoustic ceilings and wall absorbers with measured data
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Frequently asked questions
What reverberation time should a group room have?
The target value is volume-dependent; for a group room of around 150 m³ it is about 0.5 s. For children with hearing loss or another first language the shorter inclusive value applies.
Why do room acoustics matter so much in a nursery?
Children need a better signal-to-noise ratio than adults. In reverberant rooms everyone speaks louder, the level rises, the staff tire. Absorbers lower reverberation and level at the same time.
Which absorbers suit nurseries?
Wipeable acoustic ceilings and robust wall absorbers above reach height, with a tested fire class and no fibre release. Set the mounting filter to ceiling or wall in the calculator.
Other room types
Formulas, DIN 18041 and worked example on the calculator page