Architectural Acoustics    

ADC's work in Architectural Acoustics covers all aspects of the design and trouble-shooting of buildings of all types, including Residential Accommodation driven by the new Building Regulations Approved Document E, Schools particularly where affected by the design requirements of BB93, Hospitals, Offices, Theatres, Cinemas, Nightclubs, Studios, Retail, Bingo, Casinos, etc. Often, the sites have (acoustically) conflicting demands such as a cinema over a nightclub, a gym in an apartment block, a music rehearsal room next to a classroom, or  multipurpose auditoria or places of worship which require clear speech as well as warm choral music.  Design to the various BREEAM criteriaand other specific standards is increasingly sort after in public buildings, offices, schools, colleges, health centrtes, hospitals, courts and prisons, etc.

Residential

The main change in the acoustic design of residential accommodation in recent times has been the introduction of the new Approved Document E of the Building Regulations.  The new ADE sets out clear and decisive criteria for sound insulation performance for all types of residential accommodation, including dwellings, hotels, student halls of residence, residential homes, and also schools.  It is not that the criteria are necessarily tougher than in the previous version, more that there is considerably less tolerance of minor failures, along with the introduction of a new way of allowing for low frequency sound levels and an increased emphasis on pre-completion testing.  ADC is an ANC approved test body for pre completion testing under the new Approved Document E.

An alternative to testing has been the development of Robust Details. RDs are an innovation brought in by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister which include tried and tested constructions which will achieve a minimum of 5dB in excess of the Building Regulations ADE requirement, albeit at a price.

ADC can provide a full range of services for residential design and trouble shooting including the following

·         Site Surveys

·         Planning

·         Envelope design

·         Design team meetings and site inspections

·         ANC Registered test body for pre completion testing of Airborne sound insulation and impact sound transfer.(Click here for an on-line quote)

·         Analysis and diagnoses of existing sound insulation problems

·         Investigations and expert evidence for disputes

·         Air Pressure testing.(Click here to go to the Air Pressure Testing page)

Entertainment & Leisure

Entertainment and leisure covers a broad range of acoustic and noise control problems. The almost universal use of digital audio equipment has led to a market-led requirement for large amounts of bass energy, especially in contemporary dance music. Low frequency noise is extremely difficult to control as it passes easily through building structures, around corners, through windows, etc. Other modern trends include highly reverberant internal acoustics and multi-purpose leisure facilities on the same site, such as a night-club below a cinema, bars below residential, etc.

The relaxation of licensing laws has been welcomed by many bar operators but many fall foul of thier planning conditions which still restrict them to the previous licensing hours.

ADC can assist clients to resolve existing noise problems or with the planning and design of new developments.  Our services include the following:

Schools

The acoustic properties of teaching areas have been an ever more prominent feature of school design over recent years.  Poor acoustics leads to poor speech intelligibility, within a room, poor privacy between rooms, excessive background noise, etc.  Now schools must comply with the Building Regulations with guidance and performance targets backed-up by Building Bulletin 93.  The document defines internal acoustic criteria for classrooms, music rooms, halls, etc. as well as sound insulation levels between the various uses.  We are also frequently asked to diagnose and resolve noise and acoustic problems in existing schools as well as the design of new schools.

Our services include the following:

• Site surveys.
• Shell design for external noise break-in.
• Internal sound transfer between various room usages.
• Internal acoustics.
• Design team meetings and site inspections.
• Testing .

Hospitals

Hospitals present a unique set of challenges for the acoustic consultant.  A typical hospital is a mixture of extensive sources of noise producers i.e. mechanical services,  trolley movements,  outside visitors and staff shift changes (both daytime and night-time) to name but a few.  Party walls, ceilings and floors usually have to cope with a myriad of service penetrations and still provide good sound insulation.  Additonally, the noise receiver is highly sensitive in the form of a sick or recovering patient.  Added to this are the additional problems of high reverberation times due to the hard reflective surfaces which provide easy cleaning, and the need for high levels of speech privacy.  Intensely specialist acoustic environemts such as audiology suites are also an important part of our work.

Our sercices include the following:-

• Site surveys.
• Shell design for external noise break-in.
• Internal sound transfer between various room usages.
• Internal acoustics.
• Design team meetings and site inspections.
• Testing.

Offices

Office accommodation, be it new or refurbished, often comes with decisively set criteria for external noise break-in levels, mechanical services noise, and privacy.  Modern open plan offices, including office-like environments such as banks, counsel rooms and court rooms, often require an open plan ambience, while retaining reasonable levels of speech privacy between specific areas.  There is also the obvious requirement for reliable speech privacy between cellular offices, and isolation from noisier areas such as lifts, stairs and corridors.

 ADC offers a full range of services including the following:

• Site surveys
• Shell design for external noise break-in.
• Internal sound transfer between various room usages.
• Internal acoustics.
• Mechanical services noise.
• Design team meetings and inspections.
• Testing.

 Planning                    

Planning applications for new developments need to be carefully considered by the Local Authority. The normal way to proceed would be to begin by assessing the general conditions of the site and the surrounding area and to use this to assess a rigorous model of the impact of the proposed site.  A mine field of assessment standards, some of them contradictory, needs to be appropriately applied to the situation, and all findings presented in a suitable form to the Local Authority.

A period of negotiation may then follow, culminating in planning consent with acceptable conditions, or planning refusal (or consent with unacceptable conditions) and consideration of taking the proposal to a re-application or appeal at public enquiry.

All of ADCs consultants have a vast range of experience with dealing with Local Authorities, preparing noise evidence for planning applications and appeals, and giving evidence at public enquiries.  Case histories are available on request.

ADC's services include the following:                                  

Museums, Art Galleries and Exhibition Centres

These areas are very challenging in terms of acoustic design.  Often located in city centres and/or close to noisy transportation, and often within buildings with other uses such as restaurants, theatres, conference facilities, etc. they also have a wide range of conflicting demands.

Our sercices include the following:-

• Site surveys.
• Shell design for external noise break-in.
• Internal sound transfer between various exhibition space usages.
• Internal acoustics (ambience, speach intelligibility, music, etc)
• Design team meetings and site inspections.
• Testing