UOW504- Acoustician for Art House

The University recently acquired the site known as Austin House, Castle Street, Worcester. The premises are approximately 1500m2 in GIA and were previously used as a soft furnishings retail outlet, known as County Furnishings. The building is Grade II listed and was originally built as a car showroom in 1938. The University is working with a firm of architects, KKE, and services Engineers, Ridge, to redevelop the site into a facility for the University’s Institute of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences. The vision is to create spaces which will house courses that include Illustration, Creative Digital Media and Graphic Design. There is also a feasibility being carried out to assess the viability of creating a new purpose built lecture theatre, seating approximately 300, in the adjacent. Ridge are have also been appointed as BREEAM AP for the scheme - The target is to achieve BREEAM Very Good for this scheme.

A brief outline of the services required are:-

• Undertake a manned ambient noise survey to assess the level of noise incident upon the proposed development, and at nearby residential receivers.
• Based upon architect’s drawings, carry out calculations to predict internal noise levels in the rooms and develop suitable façade specifications for the building including specifications for replacement glazing, where appropriate, and produce a report detailing all survey procedure, measurements and results suitable for submission as part of our planning application.
• Carry out an appraisal of the Architect’s proposed design drawings and assess the design options put forward so as to meet the specified sound insulation targets of good-practice guidance (BS 8233, BB93, BREEAM, ANC, and Equality Challenge Unit Guidance etc.).
• Assess proposed surface finishes and dimensions of all classrooms using Sabine or ray tracing models as appropriate to ensure good practice design requirements are met with regard to reverberation times. Also assist the Architect in specifying additional finishes and design solutions to ensure compliance with the design specification.
• Appraise the mechanical services designs to ensure that noise emissions meet the design limits specified at nearby noise sensitive receptors.
• Post occupancy review of design and user satisfaction (if required)