A pioneering business, using science to move things forward. We are a consultancy in acoustics and environmental noise, with a difference: we inherently include guidance that takes account of sustainable design conflicts We aim to apply a simple model to protect people from noise, enhance environments using sound where we can, and connect people with the principles of sustainability through the work that we do. We are focusing on creating healthy and valued soundscapes in and around buildings, based on the current evidence, to help humanity expand whilst managing their impacts.
Our Approach
Our vision is to apply Acoustics to make things better
We specialise in planning and environmental noise, architecture and building acoustics, vibration, arbitration and litigation covering all types of buildings and environments; we place sustainability at the centre of all our project advice that we give, but provide a choice beyond a traditional approach.
Every development requires planning permission, and the recent change in legislation to the National Planning Guidance places more value on the management of noise impact, and the value of the soundscape than ever before (protecting areas of tranquillity, and areas valued for their peace and quiet). We call this 'soundscape', and we aim to create valued ones.
The impact of environmental noise has been a major consideration for both developers and planning authorities for some time. They can avoid costly delays in the planning process if they address noise issues before making a planning application, especially where challenging sites can be enhanced to mitigate the impact. There is also the need now to consider how mitigation can be applied to the noise maker, if new residential is moving close to existing businesses, and so good acoustic design is necessary to protect the quality of life of residents whilst maintaining the freedoms enjoyed by those businesses. This need to make close proximity work is where acoustics comes in to facilitate sustainable development.
Major infrastructure projects require detailed environmental assessments to be carried out, whereas smaller developments may only need to demonstrate compliance with national and local policies on noise and vibration. Whatever the scale of the project, we work with the planning and design teams to develop the most appropriate and beautiful design for a site, sustainably. An acoustic assessment of the project in light of the site context is then made to maximise the chances that planning permission will be granted with the minimum delay around noise issues. Unlocking challenging noise-related sites will enable us to live closer to each other and to transportation services, whilst experiencing quality soundscape environments.