The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinars
Urbanity
Awards
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
print
Print
OtherStaff WriterTue 29 Mar 16

What Every Architect And Developer Needs To Know About Acoustics

k

Lead acoustician of Australian engineering firm TTM, Keith Hewett, talks about the acoustic pitfalls of contemporary design and the simple steps every architect and developer can take to create acoustic harmony, without compromising the elegance of modern design.


The allure of modern architecture’s clean lines and hard surfaces has captured the masses. But some designs can hide a complexity of issues for the acoustics of a building, which can lead to costly and unattractive solutions.

So what do good building acoustics look like? Nothing like modern architecture, says Keith: “There’s a natural tension between modern architecture and acoustics. Contemporary design is often dominated by glass and cement. Whilst these materials look striking, they do nothing to soften the sound. Instead, they reflect sound and create a build up of noise in the space.”

Keith suggests angles are equally important. “Sharp, angular lines are another dramatic design element that cause sound to dart off the surface in the mirrored direction – much like a cue ball effect. Similarly, concaved surfaces reflect sound at an angle that creates concentrated pockets of noise.”

More often than not, acoustic design is considered as an after thought, once the building is complete and functional. “It’s not impossible to solve noise issues retrospectively, but your options become more limited and expensive, and it can impact on the integrity of the original design.”

“I recently encountered a new office fit out where the upper levels of office space opened up to an atrium over the main reception. Though it created a grand, welcoming entrance and increased the natural light throughout the building, it also carried excessive noise into the upper office floors. Building occupants were concerned by the level of noise and disruption to their work environment. If an acoustician had been involved during the design phase, these issues could have been overcome – easily and economically.”

So how do architects and developers ensure their design will sound as good as it looks? Keith says it’s all about planning: “Acoustics need to match the architectural function and aesthetic value of the project. Some sounds you want to travel, others you don’t.”

“Acousticians can work hand in hand with architects to achieve the right outcome for the space. It isn’t always about reducing noise, but rather, creating the right sound for the space, which will naturally be very different for a library, house, office or restaurant.”

There’s an ever-growing number of quality acoustic products on the market that can be incorporated in the design process to optimise the use of sound within that space. A good acoustician can advise how to incorporate these into the design to control the way sound behaves and compliment the overall aesthetic and function.
“There’s a real hesitation in the industry to prioritise spend on acoustics, but it doesn't always have to be a significant investment. Some of the best solutions I’ve implemented have been inspired by small budgets.”


Keith says the key to good acoustic design is to consider it early in the design process. “With good planning, anything is possible.”

OtherOfficeAustraliaArchitectureOther
AUTHOR
Staff Writer
"TheUrbanDeveloper.com is committed to delivering the latest news, reviews, opinions and insights into the best of urban development from Australia and around the world. "
More articles by this author
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
Parallel Workshops Stockdale Housing PBSA project
Exclusive

Suburban Success Story Turns PBSA Thinking on its Head

Leon Della Bosca
7 Min
Exclusive

Interstate Developers Find Lots to Love in ‘Progressive, Affordable’ SA

Taryn Paris
5 Min
Bates Smart Richmond Sportslink HERO
Exclusive

BtR Focus Drives Bates Smart’s Richmond Sportslink Concept

Leon Della Bosca
6 Min
Exclusive

Carparking Correlation: How Parking Fees Provide Office Sector Health Check

Taryn Paris
6 Min
Molti chief Ben Teague out front of 32 Mercer Road Aramadale (rendering)
Exclusive

Buy to the Sound of Cannons: Molti’s Counter-Cyclical Move to Melbourne

Leon Della Bosca
5 Min
View All >
Third.i Crows Nest Dolls House render EDM
Build-to-Rent

Thirdi Scraps Office Tower for Crows Nest Over-Station Site

Vanessa Croll
Parallel Workshops Stockdale Housing PBSA project
Exclusive

Suburban Success Story Turns PBSA Thinking on its Head

Leon Della Bosca
Kangaroo Point Aria Canopy House Revised DA Approval hero
Development

Aria’s Revised Tower Greenlit for Inner-City Kangaroo Point

Phil Bartsch
The latest approved scaled-back plans are for a 31-storey tower comprising 172 apartments…
LATEST
Third.i Crows Nest Dolls House render EDM
Build-to-Rent

Thirdi Scraps Office Tower for Crows Nest Over-Station Site

Vanessa Croll
4 Min
Parallel Workshops Stockdale Housing PBSA project
Exclusive

Suburban Success Story Turns PBSA Thinking on its Head

Leon Della Bosca
7 Min
Kangaroo Point Aria Canopy House Revised DA Approval hero
Development

Aria’s Revised Tower Greenlit for Inner-City Kangaroo Point

Phil Bartsch
3 Min
Hotel

Perth Hotel New Role Revealed After $105m Sale

Lindsay Saunders
2 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/what-every-architect-and-developer-needs-to-know-about-acoustics