Acoustics

Burridge Gardens sits next to the busiest railway line in Europe, with over 2,000 trains passing each day causing very high levels of noise and vibration. A key challenge for our acoustics team on this regeneration scheme was to reduce noise within the homes closest to the railway. Following extensive noise and vibration surveys, we established requirements for façade performance and building vibration isolation. Our acoustics and MEP teams worked closely together to design a natural ventilation scheme with noise attenuation, allowing residents to open their windows without disturbance from the trains outside.

The acoustic design for this refurbished 1960s concert hall retains the highly regarded acoustics of the original auditorium, while also improving flexibility for different types of performance by adding a series of concealed, motorised acoustic banners. The new ventilation system has bespoke noise control to achieve very low noise levels despite constraints on duct routes and location of air-supply points. The final result is a "crystal-clear acoustic" in the hall. 

Our award-winning services strategy for Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre minimises energy use in a strictly controlled elite sports environment. While meeting strict requirements for lighting and heating, the building design provides extensive natural ventilation and daylighting to reduce the need for mechanical cooling, fan energy and artificial lighting. We designed and tested the internal environments to ensure acoustic comfort and speech intelligibility throughout the building. As part of our acoustic input, we analysed the acoustic conditions at other indoor sports pitches to assess the acoustic performance of tensile fabric roofs. We used 3D computer simulations to investigate and address late echoes which can hamper speech intelligibility in large volume spaces.  

The New Library for Magdalene College, Cambridge, was crowned RIBA Stirling Prize winner in 2022, praised by the judges for its ‘exceptional engagement with environmental design principles’. We used acoustic absorption behind the bespoke slatted timber to provide reverberation control which fits seamlessly with the overall architectural vision of the brick and timber building, balancing echo and softness to create the optimum atmosphere for study. To avoid excess noise from footfall on the timber floor, the surface is built on natural rubber isolators, providing excellent impact noise control and a robust feel to the walking surface. Detailed noise modelling showed that rooms would have noise levels that are appropriate for peaceful study, despite the main road to the north.

This cathedral-like dining hall for Ibstock Place School in south-west London has sustainable environmental design features that are just as impressive as its sheer size. The refectory received a lot of acoustic treatment, which required detailed coordination of services with the distinctive timber structure. In particular, the main hall needed to be able to seat hundreds of pupils without excessive noise levels while also supporting assemblies and musical performances. Concealing both the acoustic treatment and the drivers for the lights, oak panelling was set between the glulam and used on the walls to help absorb and diffuse sound in the dining areas to provide a more comfortable and natural-sounding environment.