Background
In 2021, London Square commissioned Anderson Acoustics to provide comprehensive acoustic consultancy services for their mixed-use development project, The Hyde, located at the former BT Telephone Exchange site in Colindale. Square Roots, London Square’s subsidiary company providing affordable rent and shared ownership accommodation, will manage the development.
Our involvement has focused on enhancing the acoustic environment of the development, mainly ensuring compliance with the Employers Requirements (which targeted an enhanced sound insulation performance beyond Building Regulations Approved Document E compliance) and relevant acoustics-related planning conditions.
What we did
The Hyde development comprises 244 dwellings (8 of which are terraced houses), 193m2 of commercial space, and various amenities spread across multiple blocks. Our scope involved acoustic consultancy support from RIBA Stage 3 to 6:
- Acoustic design of external and internal building fabric
- Control of reverberation in common areas
- Noise and vibration control from building services, both internally and externally
- Discharge of 4 acoustics-related planning conditions
- Pre-completion sound insulation testing
Acoustic Design and Recommendations
We provided detailed acoustic design advice for the external and internal building fabric. Key recommendations included:
- Specifying glazing and ventilation systems to achieve appropriate internal noise levels
- Enhancing sound insulation between residential units and non-residential areas
- Implementing suitable junction detailing and penetrations to maintain acoustic integrity.
Acoustic Testing and Compliance
We have conducted sound insulation tests between sample rooms in various blocks. The tests included airborne wall, airborne floor, and impact floor tests to ensure compliance with Approved Document E of the Building Regulations. The results indicated that all tests met the required performance standards.
To discharge Planning Conditions, we assessed the noise impact of all noise-generating plant serving the development. The assessment included baseline noise surveys and noise modeling to predict plant noise emissions. The results confirmed that the proposed plant noise levels would comply with the set target.
Conclusion
We successfully addressed the acoustic challenges of this mixed-use development ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. This case study exemplifies the importance of integrating acoustic design into the overall development process.
