Burlington Junior School

Background 

In 2021, Anderson Acoustics were commissioned by TPM Studio (on behalf of their client Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames) to support the planning application and provide acoustic design advice for the proposed new teaching block with 15 classrooms, dining hall, sports hall block, refurbishment of the Victorian Block and new Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) at Burlington Junior School in New Malden.   

In 2023, we were then novated over to the team at Morgan Sindall who were appointed as Contractor to support the later design stages. 

What we did 

Acoustic Design Strategy
Brought on at RIBA Stage 2, our acoustic design strategy aimed to set out the proposed acoustic performance standards for the scheme in order to achieve the acoustic requirements of the School Premises Regulations and Approved Document E of The Building Regulations (referencing Building Bulletin 93, BB93) and BREEAM credits.  

The acoustic design strategy addresses several key areas: 

• Indoor ambient noise level targets and ventilation strategy (hybrid natural ventilation for teaching spaces, natural ventilation for the atrium and hall, and mechanical ventilation for administration areas)
• Control of noise ingress from outdoor activities such as the MUGA and rooftop play space. The proposed façade design and ventilation strategy ensures that indoor ambient noise levels remain within acceptable limits. 
• Internal airborne and impact sound insulation targets for walls, doors, and glazing to minimize noise transfer between spaces including recommendations for managing impact sound from the rooftop play area. 
• Control of reverberation time and provision of sound absorbent finishes in teaching and learning spaces ensuring good speech intelligibility and a comfortable acoustic environment with enhanced targets for Special Educational Needs area. 
• 3D room acoustic modelling of open plan dining area and sports hall.

MUGA Noise Impact Assessment 

The planning conditions for the scheme required an acoustic report predicting noise levels at nearby residential receptors, referencing the guidance in Sport England’s Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP) Acoustics – Planning Implications 2015. 

Our noise impact assessment demonstrated that with a proposed barrier and other mitigation measures such as operational management, the predicted noise levels from the MUGA would not exceed the target criterion during periods of operation.

Project Progress 

Acoustic pre completion testing was carried out to demonstrate compliance with relevant acoustic regulations and standards, ensuring a successful outcome for the school community. The building was handed over in April 2025. The new MUGA pitch is ready and now in use by staff and pupils. We look forward to visiting once the students and staff have settled in and can feed back on acoustic quality.

More information can be found on the Morgan Sindall website here: – https://www.morgansindallconstruction.com/our-projects/live-projects/burlington-junior-school/ 

Testimonial

We just wanted to take a moment and thank all of you for your hard work and support which allowed us all to achieve PC on Section 3 of the Burlington Junior school project. The client is really happy with the building and they have already started moving in with excited school children already running around and enjoying the space!  Michael Mouragian, Project Manager, Morgan Sindall