---
_id: '14068'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Personalised Environmental Control Systems (PECS) enable occupants to locally
adjust environmental parameters without affecting others. Rooted in the fields
of thermal and air quality management, this approach is key for enhancing satisfaction
and well-being in the built environment by empowering occupants to control their
immediate surroundings. Moreover, it offers energy-saving potential by optimizing
conditions in targeted areas rather than across the entire environment. Within
the framework of the IEA EBC Annex 87, the concept was explored for the first
time in the acoustic domain. After defining Acoustic PECS, a systematic review
according to PRISMA guidelines was conducted to unpack (1) technologies in the
literature aligning with this concept; (2) their impact on occupants; and (3)
current limitations. The literature search, conducted on Scopus, Web of Science,
APA, and PubMed, included field or laboratory studies assessing systems enabling
local acoustic control in settings that are relevant for office environments.
Review papers, medical device studies, and reports without insights on occupant
impact were excluded. Thirty-eight studies were selected, covering active and
passive systems, building-attached, furniture-integrated, and wearable devices.
The qualitative analysis highlighted potential positive effects in challenging
acoustic environments, including reduced annoyance, improved work performance,
masking or cancellation of intrusive noises, and enhancements in short-term memory,
among other benefits, despite existing technological and methodological limitations.
The evidence collected is constrained by the limited number of identified studies
and methodological gaps stemming from the relatively wide focus of the studies
where such devices were investigated. The definition of Acoustic PECS provides
a foundation for future research, guiding the development of these systems and
fostering high-quality and consistent evidence of their impacts.
article_number: '113243'
author:
- first_name: Simone
full_name: Torresin, Simone
last_name: Torresin
- first_name: Larissa Pereira
full_name: de Souza, Larissa Pereira
last_name: de Souza
- first_name: Seda Yuksel
full_name: Dicle, Seda Yuksel
last_name: Dicle
- first_name: Douaa
full_name: Al-Assaad, Douaa
last_name: Al-Assaad
- first_name: Francesco
full_name: Aletta, Francesco
last_name: Aletta
- first_name: Alvaro
full_name: Balderrama, Alvaro
id: '74171'
last_name: Balderrama
orcid: 0000-0002-4118-2838
- first_name: Mariya P.
full_name: Bivolarova, Mariya P.
last_name: Bivolarova
- first_name: Pyoung-Jik
full_name: Lee, Pyoung-Jik
last_name: Lee
- first_name: Josep
full_name: Llorca-Bofí, Josep
last_name: Llorca-Bofí
- first_name: Henna
full_name: Maula, Henna
last_name: Maula
- first_name: Alessandra Luna
full_name: Navarro, Alessandra Luna
last_name: Navarro
- first_name: Ilaria
full_name: Pigliautile, Ilaria
last_name: Pigliautile
- first_name: Anna Laura
full_name: Pisello, Anna Laura
last_name: Pisello
- first_name: Zhibin
full_name: Wu, Zhibin
last_name: Wu
citation:
ama: 'Torresin S, de Souza LP, Dicle SY, et al. Definition and performance of acoustic
personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review.
Building and environment : the international journal of building science and
its applications. 2025;282. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243'
apa: 'Torresin, S., de Souza, L. P., Dicle, S. Y., Al-Assaad, D., Aletta, F., Balderrama,
A., Bivolarova, M. P., Lee, P.-J., Llorca-Bofí, J., Maula, H., Navarro, A. L.,
Pigliautile, I., Pisello, A. L., & Wu, Z. (2025). Definition and performance
of acoustic personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic
review. Building and Environment : The International Journal of Building Science
and Its Applications, 282, Article 113243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243'
bjps: 'Torresin S et al. (2025) Definition and Performance of Acoustic
Personalised Environmental Control Systems (Acoustic PECS): A Systematic Review.
Building and environment : the international journal of building science and
its applications 282.'
chicago: 'Torresin, Simone, Larissa Pereira de Souza, Seda Yuksel Dicle, Douaa Al-Assaad,
Francesco Aletta, Alvaro Balderrama, Mariya P. Bivolarova, et al. “Definition
and Performance of Acoustic Personalised Environmental Control Systems (Acoustic
PECS): A Systematic Review.” Building and Environment : The International Journal
of Building Science and Its Applications 282 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243.'
chicago-de: 'Torresin, Simone, Larissa Pereira de Souza, Seda Yuksel Dicle, Douaa
Al-Assaad, Francesco Aletta, Alvaro Balderrama, Mariya P. Bivolarova, u. a. 2025.
Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control systems
(acoustic PECS): A systematic review. Building and environment : the international
journal of building science and its applications 282. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243,
.'
din1505-2-1: 'Torresin,
Simone ; de Souza, Larissa Pereira
; Dicle, Seda Yuksel ; Al-Assaad,
Douaa ; Aletta, Francesco
; Balderrama, Alvaro ; Bivolarova,
Mariya P. ; Lee, Pyoung-Jik
; u. a.: Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental
control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review. In: Building and environment :
the international journal of building science and its applications Bd. 282.
Amsterdam [u.a.], Elsevier BV (2025)'
havard: 'S. Torresin, L.P. de Souza, S.Y. Dicle, D. Al-Assaad, F. Aletta, A. Balderrama,
M.P. Bivolarova, P.-J. Lee, J. Llorca-Bofí, H. Maula, A.L. Navarro, I. Pigliautile,
A.L. Pisello, Z. Wu, Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental
control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review, Building and Environment :
The International Journal of Building Science and Its Applications. 282 (2025).'
ieee: 'S. Torresin et al., “Definition and performance of acoustic personalised
environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review,” Building
and environment : the international journal of building science and its applications,
vol. 282, Art. no. 113243, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243.'
mla: 'Torresin, Simone, et al. “Definition and Performance of Acoustic Personalised
Environmental Control Systems (Acoustic PECS): A Systematic Review.” Building
and Environment : The International Journal of Building Science and Its Applications,
vol. 282, 113243, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243.'
short: 'S. Torresin, L.P. de Souza, S.Y. Dicle, D. Al-Assaad, F. Aletta, A. Balderrama,
M.P. Bivolarova, P.-J. Lee, J. Llorca-Bofí, H. Maula, A.L. Navarro, I. Pigliautile,
A.L. Pisello, Z. Wu, Building and Environment : The International Journal of Building
Science and Its Applications 282 (2025).'
ufg: 'Torresin, Simone u. a.: Definition and performance of acoustic personalised
environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review, in: Building
and environment : the international journal of building science and its applications
282 (2025).'
van: 'Torresin S, de Souza LP, Dicle SY, Al-Assaad D, Aletta F, Balderrama A, et
al. Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control
systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review. Building and environment : the international
journal of building science and its applications. 2025;282.'
date_created: 2026-09-30T10:13:09Z
date_updated: 2026-10-01T14:35:36Z
department:
- _id: DEP1634
doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243
intvolume: ' 282'
keyword:
- PECS
- Personalized environmental control systems
- Acoustic coustic PECS
- Acoustic comfort
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Headphones
language:
- iso: eng
place: Amsterdam [u.a.]
publication: 'Building and environment : the international journal of building science
and its applications'
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 1873-684X
issn:
- 0360-1323
publication_status: published
publisher: Elsevier BV
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control
systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 282
year: '2025'
...