Background
Anderson Acoustics was commissioned by the University of Westminster to provide acoustic design advice for the basement refurbishment of their building on Little Titchfield Street. The Contractor was Neilcott Construction.
The project included an entrance and café on the ground floor, and converting the library into a hybrid space for teaching, seminars, meetings and social space on the lower ground floor.
What We Did
Our acoustic design adhered to the standards set out in Building Bulletin 93: Acoustic Design of Schools Performance Standards (2015), which provides guidance for university facilities, including indoor ambient noise, internal sound insulation, and reverberation times.
We conducted an acoustic feasibility study to identify the design risks and opportunities associated with the proposed refurbishment.
We advised on constructions and details to achieve suitable sound insulation standards, and provided detailing for the junction between separating walls and existing secondary glazing.
We reviewed the ventilation strategy to ensure that noise ingress would be suitably controlled and advised on the acoustic treatment of the existing facade mounted smoke extract units.
We assessed reverberation time in the teaching, seminar and social spaces. Reverberation was managed by installing acoustic finishes to ensure optimal acoustic performance in the refurbished spaces.
Testimonial
“Locating teaching spaces next to breakout areas has always raised concerns about noise spillover. The area has been in use for the first term and it is functioning as intended, with no issues related to noise. Students are able to move seamlessly between the breakout spaces and teaching rooms, making the most of both types of spaces. We truly appreciate how the entire design team understood our brief and worked collaboratively to bring this vision to life.” Allesandro Foderaro, Deputy Director – Capital Development – Estates Planning & Development
