New developments in speech privacy design

The design of architectural spaces for the purpose of speech privacy attainment has been quietly practiced over many years. In the late 1960s and 70s, with the introduction of open‐plan office layouts, the need for speech privacy became an issue of productivity, as well as one of confidentiality. Today, with the introduction of government regulations such as HIPAA, the need for confidential speech privacy in the healthcare industry has hit the mainstream of our consciousness, even as individuals. And, in this day of (in)security the issues of espionage and terrorism have implications for architectural acoustic design of spaces for speech security. This paper considers both the architectural design trends and issues, and the measurement and evaluation methods being developed in response to these needs for speech privacy, as we move boldly forward into the next 50 years.