Background
Anderson Acoustics provided acoustic consultancy for the new Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery – a global hub for cancer research based in South London.
The building will bring together world-leading researchers from different disciplines to create more and better drugs for cancer patients.
The Challenge
Our role was to work with the architectural design team to ensure that the acoustic conditions within the building enabled researchers to be productive, to concentrate and to collaborate effectively.
From an acoustic perspective, the key objectives of this project were:
- privacy between sensitive spaces
- speech intelligibility for meeting rooms, open collaboration spaces and break-out zones
- low ambient noise levels in areas where concentration is key
The solution
To anticipate and solve these acoustic challenges, we defined a set of acoustic performance criteria that would align with the client’s aspirations and achieve BREEAM ‘excellent’ certification.
Working closely with the project team we provided on-going advice including:
- suitable wall and floor constructions to control the passage of sound between sensitive spaces
- guidance on the type, amount and placement of absorptive acoustic finishes in areas where speech and communication are key
- noise control advice for ventilation plant serving sensitive spaces as well as for external plant items to minimise break-out
The result
Our acoustic recommendations were adopted, and the project is now in its final phase before the scheduled opening in 2020.
Joseph Baggaley, Director at Anderson Acoustics, commented “We have worked on several research facilities for the Institute of Cancer Research and others. We believe the close attention to acoustics will help deliver a high performance and collaborative environment to develop new solutions for cancer treatment.”
