Background
Anderson Acoustics was appointed as acoustic consultant for the change of use and refurbishment of an existing car showroom and MOT garage, together with a new two-storey extension, to form an Operational Hub Depot at Cowley Road, Cambridge for the City Council.
The completed development provides office accommodation, storage areas, vehicle parking, plant and associated external works. The project was required to satisfy planning conditions relating to noise and to support the achievement of BREEAM credits.
Our Role
Our appointment covered acoustic consultancy services from technical design through to construction and commissioning. This included design reviews, noise impact assessment to support planning, construction-stage support and post-completion acoustic testing. Services were provided across RIBA Stages 4, 5 and 6.
Project Context
The site is located within an urban area with nearby residential properties. The proposed use introduced new mechanical plant, servicing activity and car parking, all of which required assessment to ensure that noise levels remained acceptable at surrounding noise-sensitive receptors. Internally, the refurbished and extended buildings required appropriate control of sound insulation, internal ambient noise levels and reverberation times to support their intended operational use.
Our Approach
We worked closely with the client, design team and contractor to provide coordinated acoustic input throughout the project. This included:
- Reviewing the existing acoustic strategy and establishing detailed design criteria in line with planning requirements, BS 4142 and BREEAM;
- Assessing proposed plant, servicing activity and car park noise through predictive modelling to support the discharge of planning conditions;
- Advising on plant selection, layout and mitigation measures where required;
- Reviewing architectural and services details to support suitable sound insulation and internal acoustic conditions;
- Providing construction-stage support, including review of contractor proposals and site inspections;
- Undertaking pre-completion acoustic commissioning testing
Acoustic advice was therefore provided alongside the evolving design and construction process.
Testing and Verification
Post-completion acoustic testing was undertaken to verify the performance of the completed development. Testing confirmed that sound insulation, internal ambient noise levels and reverberation times achieved the required criteria, allowing the targeted BREEAM Hea 05 credits to be awarded. Environmental noise assessments demonstrated that plant and operational noise complied with the approved limits, supporting the discharge of the relevant planning condition and BREEAM Pol 05 requirements.
Conclusion
Through a combination of design-stage assessment, planning support and post-completion testing, we supported the delivery of an operational facility that meets regulatory, planning and sustainability requirements, while providing appropriate acoustic conditions for both building users and neighbouring properties.
Project Progress
The build was completed in 2025. Read more on VolkerFitzpatrick’s website here
