Acoustic design and testing for health and wellbeing
Acoustic design and testing for health and wellbeing was written by Stephanie King and Gary Timmins and was published by the BRE Trust in February 2019. It is freely-available to download from the BRE Website.
Good acoustic conditions are fundamental to the quality and enjoyment of homes. Domestic noise problems may arise either from sound travelling from one premises to another, such as music, voices and footsteps, or from noise entering from outside, such as road and aircraft noise. The two are regulated in different ways. Sound insulation issues are dealt with through the Building Regulations. Exposure to outside noise is dealt with through the planning system. Both require careful consideration, as poor acoustic design is difficult and expensive to remedy once a building has been completed.
This 16-page guide identifies the basic elements of acoustic design and the standards most commonly used when considering noise impact on homes. It is intended to help housebuilders, building owners, designers, architects, planners, landlords and householders take the first steps towards understanding acoustic requirements for homes and the kind of technical data they might encounter on the way.
Its contents are:
- Summary.
- Introduction.
- Sources of noise disturbance – sound insulation.
- Sources of noise disturbance – environmental noise.
- The role of laboratory testing.
- Case studies.
- References.
- Acknowledgements.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Acoustic consultant.
- Acoustics.
- Acoustics in the workplace.
- Airborne sound.
- Approved Document E.
- Audio frequency.
- BRE articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
- BRE Trust.
- BREEAM Acoustic performance.
- Building Bulletin 93: acoustic design of schools.
- Decibel.
- Flanking sound.
- Impact sound.
- Metamaterials.
- Noise nuisance.
- Pre-completion sound testing.
- Reverberation.
- Room acoustics.
- Sound absorption.
- Sound insulation.
- Sound insulation in dwellings: Part 1: An introduction (GG 83-1).
- Sound reduction index (SRI).
- Sound v noise.
- Structure-borne sound.
- Suitable insulation can help preserve the golden sound of silence.
- Timber and healthy interiors.
- Wellbeing.
Featured articles and news
ECA digital series unveils road to net-zero.
Retrofit and Decarbonisation framework N9 launched
Aligned with LHCPG social value strategy and the Gold Standard.
Competence framework for sustainability
In the built environment launched by CIC and the Edge.
Institute of Roofing members welcomed into CIOB
IoR members transition to CIOB membership based on individual expertise and qualifications.
Join the Building Safety Linkedin group to stay up-to-date and join the debate.
Government responds to the final Grenfell Inquiry report
A with a brief summary with reactions to their response.
A brief description and background to this new February law.
Everything you need to know about building conservation and the historic environment.
NFCC publishes Industry White Paper on Remediation
Calling for a coordinated approach and cross-departmental Construction Skills Strategy to manage workforce development.
'who blames whom and for what, and there are three reasons for doing that: legal , cultural and moral"
How the Home Energy Model will be different from SAP
Comparing different building energy models.
Mapping approaches for standardisation.
UK Construction contract spending up at the start of 2025
New construction orders increase by 69 percent on December.
Preparing for the future: how specifiers can lead the way
As the construction industry prepares for the updated home and building efficiency standards.
Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment
A practical guide for built environment professionals.
Updating the minimum energy efficiency standards
Background and key points to the current consultation.
Heritage building skills and live-site training.