Backgound
Anderson Acoustics was commissioned by Vitrag LLP to undertake a noise impact assessment and provide acoustic design advice in relation to the change of use of part of a second floor retail space to a multi-activity entertainment venue and restaurant /bar at the West Orchard Shopping Centre, Coventry.
The venue will provide a space for popular leisure activities, such as tenpin bowling, adventure golf, augmented reality darts and shuffleboard, as well as providing a restaurant and bar area. The operation of the venue will also include the reproduction of amplified music.
Entertainment venues – and bowling alleys in particular – by nature produce high levels of both airborne (people and music) and impact (bowling ball and pin) sound.
The Challenge
Given bowling alley activities include dropping heavy bowling balls on the floor and the falling of pins, we advised for this site, it would be necessary to consider the potential risk of impact induced noise transferring via the structure to the Job Centre located below.
Having worked on several other bowling alley fit-out projects, we were able to advise on suitable design targets of re-radiated noise to control discrete impact noise from the bowling activities.
What we did
We attended site several times during which a series of controlled tests were conducted to determine the airborne and the impact induced re-radiated noise transfer between the proposed venue in question and the adjacent retail premises and Job Centre below. These tests included bowling ball drop tests on various mock-up isolated floor constructions.
Using the captured data, we recommended mitigation measures to adequately control noise transfer to those areas, including the installation of independent linings to all walls and columns, a specification for the bowling alley flooring as well as heavy mass enclosures for the ball pits and rear pin enclosure.
Project Progress
Planning permission was officially granted in July 2023 with fit-out works commencing in 2024.
