New Beacon School Nursery, Sevenoaks

Baxall Construction Ltd appointed Anderson Acoustics to provide acoustic design advice for a new single-storey nursery building at New Beacon Boys’ Prep School in Sevenoaks, Kent. The project involved an open-plan nursery for children aged 2–4, with associated ancillary spaces and a covered outdoor teaching area.

The brief was to support the design team in achieving suitable acoustic conditions for early years learning, in line with Building Bulletin 93 (BB93), which applies where nurseries form part of a school. The aim was to create an environment that supports speech clarity, learning, and wellbeing for very young children.

The key challenges included:

• Designing for children aged 2–4, where clear speech and controlled reverberation are particularly important for language development;
• Achieving compliance with BB93 acoustic performance standards, required for school-based nurseries;
• Managing noise ingress from adjacent covered outdoor play areas;
• Controlling noise from mechanical ventilation and building services, including MVHR systems;
• Providing effective sound insulation between teaching spaces, circulation areas, and ancillary rooms, while accommodating operational requirements such as interconnecting doors;
• Considering noise from ancillary equipment, such as hand dryers, which very young children can be particularly sensitive to.

What We Did

We provided acoustic advice throughout the design process, including:

• Acoustic criteria setting – We reviewed the relevant standards and guidance, including BB93, Building Regulations Part E, and the Independent School Standards, and set project-specific targets for indoor ambient noise levels, sound insulation, and reverberation times;
• Noise climate review – We reviewed the external noise environment using published noise mapping data to confirm that internal noise targets could be achieved with the proposed building fabric and ventilation strategy;
• Building envelope and ventilation design – We advised on the acoustic performance of the Streif modular timber façade, high-performance double glazing, and the Bauder green roof system to control environmental and rain noise. The mechanical ventilation strategy incorporated MVHR units, with recommendations for attenuators and acoustic treatment to limit service noise;
• Internal sound insulation – We developed wall and junction details to meet or exceed BB93 sound insulation requirements, including guidance on flanking transmission and installation quality;
• External plant noise – We set noise emission targets for external plant, including air source heat pumps and condensers, and advised on acoustic screening to protect nearby residential properties;
• Room acoustics – We advised on Class A sound-absorbing ceilings and, where appropriate, supplementary wall absorption to achieve suitable reverberation times, supporting both general teaching and inclusive learning environments.

Outcome

• The acoustic design meets the relevant BB93 performance standards;
• Sound insulation between spaces limits disturbance and supports flexible use of the building;
• The internal acoustic environment supports clear communication and effective teaching, including for children with additional needs;
• The project provides a practical example of how considered acoustic design can support early years environments, even where regulation may be limited.