Designing for Noise & Natural Ventilation

Acoustics can seem challenging to understand for non-acousticians, and this book seeks to illustrate practical ways to design for noisy contexts in a simple and accessible way. The book firstly takes the reader through some basic concepts in acoustics and then gives practical examples of designing for noisy environments.

Natural ventilation and noise problems are often dismissed as a luxury, a nice-to-have, but unnecessary, or overlooked because of the primacy of the visual sense in design. In this time of a Covid-19 pandemic, the need for a plentiful supply of fresh, clean, natural air to indoor spaces is even more critical, and air-conditioning circulating the same stale air is something to be avoided. Energy hungry air-conditioning is also unsustainable, expensive to run, and passes the cost of a poor design onto the resident. The book is written to be easy to understand and accessible to design and planning professionals who may not be acousticians nor understand acoustics, and further explanatory videos are available. The book's content crosses the boundaries of several professional fields and draws on acoustics, architecture, urban design, urban planning, public health, and a little bit of math & science. The cross-disciplinary approach aims to provide holistic information and help a rounded understanding of the practicalities of designing for noisy environments while providing natural ventilation.