Acoustic Building Design
Acoustic Design Services
Good acoustic design is easiest to achieve before construction starts.
NCSL works with architects, developers, contractors and building-services engineers to identify acoustic risks at design stage and develop practical solutions before they become expensive site problems.
Our work covers sound insulation, room acoustics, reverberation, building-services noise and environmental noise. We can provide anything from a review of a single wall or floor construction through to acoustic input across a complete development.
Acoustic Design Reviews
An acoustic review can be carried out from drawings, specifications and construction details before work begins.
Depending on the project, we can review:
• Separating walls and floors;
• Façade constructions;
• Junctions and potential flanking paths;
• Internal partitions;
• Room finishes and reverberation;
• Mechanical and electrical plant;
• External noise break-in;
• Noise breakout from the building; and
• The relationship between noisy and noise-sensitive spaces.
The earlier this work is carried out, the more flexibility there is to make changes without affecting the programme or finished construction.
Sound Insulation Design
For residential and mixed-use developments, we can review separating constructions and details with the eventual sound insulation requirement in mind.
This can be particularly valuable for conversions and refurbishment projects, where existing structures and junctions may not behave in the same way as a straightforward new-build detail.
Where required, we can follow the design work through to final sound insulation testing.
Room Acoustics and Reverberation
Hard finishes, large volumes and limited acoustic absorption can create spaces in which speech becomes difficult to understand and background activity builds up quickly.
We provide reverberation assessment and acoustic treatment advice for spaces such as schools and teaching rooms, sports halls, offices and meeting spaces, restaurants and hospitality spaces, studios and performance spaces, and other rooms where speech or listening quality is important.
For existing spaces we can measure reverberation time and identify suitable treatment. For proposed spaces, we can assess the design and advise on the amount and location of acoustic absorption.
Schools and Educational Buildings
Acoustic design in schools needs to consider more than sound insulation between rooms.
Reverberation, speech intelligibility, indoor ambient noise and noise from building services can all affect whether teaching spaces perform as intended.
Where applicable, NCSL can provide acoustic input with reference to BB93 and the requirements of the individual project.
Building Services Noise
Mechanical ventilation, heat pumps, condensers, fans and other building-services equipment can affect both internal rooms and neighbouring properties.
We can assess plant selections and proposed locations, review manufacturers’ acoustic data and advise on measures such as attenuation, isolation, screening and enclosure design.
Environmental Noise and Building Envelope Design
Where a site is affected by road traffic, rail, industrial or commercial noise, the external noise environment may influence the building layout, glazing and ventilation strategy.
We can undertake the site measurements and calculations required to establish appropriate acoustic performance for the façade.
Practical Acoustic Advice
Our aim is not to add acoustic products to a drawing for the sake of it.
Where there is a simpler construction, layout change or engineering solution that achieves the required performance, we will say so. Equally, if a detail is likely to create a problem later in the project, it is much better to identify it before it is built.
Talk to Us About Your Design
Send us the drawings and a brief description of the project. We can review what you have and advise what level of acoustic input is appropriate.
We specialise in acoustic reviews for:
- Approved Document E (Resistance to the passage of sound).
- Sound Insulation Testing.
- BS 4142 Noise Impact Assessment.
- Robust Details.
- Building Bulleting 93 (BB93 – Acoustic Design of Schools).
- BS 8233 (Sound insulation and noise reduction for buildings).
- Bespoke Projects.
Reach out and let's chat
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