Acoustic Design

The World of noise and sound is not a series of absolutes. What do we mean by this? That although there are measurements that are performed in the real world we cannot even begin to 100% predict how that sound may act in any environment, both in planning or in completed projects. It is an art as well as a science, and it is the delicate balance between the science, art and practicality that grips our interest and absorbs us with the work we do at iKoustic.

Getting creative with soundproofing is just as important as the science behind it, for there are real-world problems that need solving that no level of modelling or simulating will tell us. It is our every-day interactions with our broad range of customers from architects, to acoustic consultants, from home-owners to interior designers, that have established our developed series of ‘case studies’ both published and appreciated that will bring your project the resolve it needs, for the here and now, and on future projects. With the science, art and practicality of every project, it highlights that it is not significant enough to just simply look at the numbers, but that we also must take into consideration our varying sensitivities to noise and sound, and to take each scenario on differently from the one that precedes it. Acoustic Design challenges all of us to be at our best, for there is something new around the corner that surprises us in how sound behaves in different spaces.

Creating Quieter Spaces Together is our collaborative approach to acoustics, not just a tagline. We give you the knowledge to help understand how sound works through our up-to-date testing performed on our soundproofing systems told in ways both the technical and new-comers can understand. Our blogs and case studies give you the most up to date information. We also put together detailed installation videos and guides for the enthusiast.

Acoustic Design is both a focus on managing beautiful sound internally and offering the best possible protection from noise both airborne and impact whether, externally and internally. The world has become a much louder place, and what is demanded from maintaining existing spaces and the building of new spaces is top quality soundproof materials and systems. Both our MuteRange and Note Range offer systems that cover both sound insulation and sound absorption, respectively, and it is in these ranges you will find materials that are recycled and recyclable, durable and cover different needs.

Unsure of the difference between Sound Insulation and Sound Absorption?

What iKoustic Do

With a wealth of experience between us at iKoustic, we offer a great array of services, products and systems that adhere to Part E Regulations, that are important for residential builds, provides a range of approaches to different issues for commercial builds, such as the use of soundproof under screeds, and personal aims that concern general soundproofing and sound absorption. 

• Addressing ‘noisy neighbour’ situations by specifying and installing soundproof materials across floors, walls and ceilings.
• Staying up-to-date with the changing dynamics of workplaces, making use of effective soundproofing and sound absorption to create visual interest.
• Acoustic options for Gyms that include our MuteGym, MuteBloc and MuteStop ranges, each tailored for various uses to help protect the local environment from the excessive noise.
• Working with Architects, Specifiers and Acoustic Consultants by providing partition design and acoustic results to assist managing on projects of all sizes.
• Manage projects with our team, you will likely have a single point of contact who understands it back to front.
• An experienced installation team with over 15+ years of experience

And so much more

Each property will require completely different levels of acoustic design. Some will need only soundproofing solutions which come under partition design and flanking design, two critical areas that help to secure the best soundproofing possible. Others will need complete control over noise and sound.

Partition Design

In this area, we look at the partition between the two areas where the sound source is located and where it is received. For instance, if we take apartments, one above another, our floor and ceiling partition will likely be the main area of concern. It is our products that are assembled with the partition that create Systems, and when it comes to measuring Performance, Cost and Thickness, it is our Sound Insulating Systems that offer protection from noise above, both from impact noise, footsteps and dragging of furniture, and airborne noise from conversations to televisions. 

Our team will walk through what requirements you may have with the ones potentially listed above, or ones issued by certain Building Control officers and discuss what restrictions you may have concerning the Performance Cost and Thickness. If it is a new build construction you are likely an Architect, Acoustic Consultant or Contractor and are seeking likely results from partitions. We can put these together for you so we can see projected results with different systems in place, on floors, walls and ceilings. If it is an existing building we can look at the building elements with what is currently in place, or existing sound test results that may have failed to look at solving any shortfalls.

Partition Design is the start, but if we take our example above, these noises from the floor are not going to be 100% through the floor to ceiling, but through its attachment to the walls and any servicing such as piping, will be coming through additional paths. This takes us on to Flanking Design.

Flanking Design

When Partition Design is being considered, at the same time so should Flanking Design. Structures rely upon being built upon one another, and when these are not detached or suspended, they are in immediate contact. This contact between them is a direct path for any vibration to transfer through. When adjacent areas are made up of joists or stud frames, then there is a cavity or ‘open space’ for the noise or sound also to travel through. In these cavities, these noises appear amplified for they are trapped, an in our Flanking Design these are treated with soft, insulating materials like Acoustic Mineral Wool.

There are also sewage ducts, hot and cold pipes, electric servicing and even speaker mounts that be subject to flanking noise. These examples are all part of the acoustic design and are taken in for consideration, you’d be surprised how often we find sound tests failing simply because a flanking path has not been taken care of.
 

Examples of Flanking Issues

• Floor joists that run between dwellings not only have a cavity in between them but will pass through into the adjacent property through the joist itself.
• Walls are adjoined to adjacent walls, and this means that everything from stud frame cavities, dot and dab plasterboard and even solid walls will pass through the noise.
• Ceilings have the same cavities as the floors in timber buildings, so these will be subject to similar issues.
• Through Rolled Steel beams that have been boxed in, these are prone to vibration.
   

Your Acoustic Environment

Acoustic Design takes a different stance when we arrive at sound absorption. We are interested in turning the internal acoustics to a more pleasant environment, rather than one that presents us with massive amounts of reverberation – a difficult listening experience.  We achieve this by adding more absorptive surfaces to a hard-furnished and finished room. Creating environments that offer a healthier level of ‘Acoustic Comfort’ has been increasingly more important in the workplace, one that seeks a blend between maintaining the energy of the room, with improved privacy and areas that conduce to better speech intelligibility. We have outlined some interesting findings in our ‘Adverse Effects of Noise in a Working Environment’, some of which need a dedicated focus on sound absorption to manage these particular spaces.

We have a dedicated section that focuses on the visual aspects of our Note™ Range under Acoustic Baffles for those that are combining the power of a healthier soundscape with improved visual stimulus. But the Acoustic Design of controlling reverberation is one of finding the right balance. There are different approaches to new-build and existing build spaces and ways we can measure the performance. They can be carved, shaped, structured and hung in an almost unlimited amount of ways – tackling them problems head-on, creatively.

Examples of where you may need sound absorption

• When there is great difficulty in an understanding speech at varying distances.
• If you receive complaints about noise in your restaurant or bar.
• If you are finding it difficult to concentrate because of noise from nearby distractions.
• If any playback audio or live performances are disrupted through reverberation
• When space feels ‘uncomfortable’ and cavernous.
• When you are unable to record any sound source without there being a long decay.
   

Contact us | 01937 588 226