Sound issues tend to take a back seat to architectural design when a building is on the drawing board. At least that's what you'll hear from acoustical consultants who work with multifamily developers. “When it's time to think about economy and the value of the building, control of sound gets kicked to the side too often,” says Steve Haas, president of SH Acoustics, a Milford, Conn., company that specializes in luxury residential projects. It's easy to do; acoustic design and performance happens behind the scenes, making it easy to discount or ignore compared to other must-have features that you can actually see.