Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
Acoustic design for healthcare facilities in the UK is largely based on the guidance contained in Health Technical Memorandum HTM08-01 (or more recent incarnations such as the ‘Department of Health Technical design manual version 0.6: England’). We are experienced in designing to this document and have advised Healthcare Authorities and Main Contractors across a range of medical and laboratory facilities.
New Medical Centre and Library – Clapham, London
Client: United House
Architects: Studio Egret West and DLA Architects
Mechanical Consultants: Scott Wilson
Scope: To carry out the detailed acoustic design of the scheme to achieve the Employers Requirements and Planning Conditions. The Health Centre was designed to the new HTM 08-01 acoustic criteria, to ensure suitable speech privacy and acoustic insulation throughout the facility. The main library area doubles as a performance space for music and theatre and so detailed 3D modelling was carried out to determine the optimum compromise between the conflicting requirements.
Cancer Research UK – Cambridge
Client: R G Carter
Design Team: Gleeds
Architects: CMP
Scope: Cass Allen have advised R G Carter on the acoustic design of the fit out of this leading Cancer Research Institute. A key requirement of the project was to avoid any disruption to existing research during the works. This was achieved through a combination of noise and vibration monitoring, computer modelling and data analysis achieving cost effective and practical solutions.
New Care Home, Dukeminster Estate
Client: ISG Construction Limited
Architects: RDT Design
Scope: Cass Allen advised ISG on the acoustic design and construction of this new £4.7 million 75-bed care home development.
The site is located close to numerous transportation routes, including the new Luton & Dunstable Busway, and Cass Allen provided design guidance to ensure that the noise-sensitive internal environments were acoustically suitable and met relevant acoustic performance standards.
In addition, the care home will be served by a significant amount of internal and external machinery and Cass Allen worked with the design team to ensure that noise and vibration generated by equipment would not disturb residents of the care home or other noise-sensitive premises in the area.
Kitchen Garden Enclosure – Wellcome Trust Genome Campus
Client: R G Cater
Architects: Barber Casanovas Ruffles Architects
Scope: Cass Allen Associates provided R G Carter with acoustic design guidance for the integration of this £9.7m development at the Wellcome Trust Conference Centre near Cambridge.
The completed refurbishment and extension offers conference delegates, students and staff mixed-use areas including a new exhibition centre, auditorium, pavilion and orchard.
The project is enclosed under a glass domed roof and during the process we advised on sound insulation and reverberation control design to achieve appropriate acoustic performance standards throughout the rooms of the remodelled areas.
Residential Care Home
Client: ISG Construction Ltd
Architects: RDT Design
Scope: Cass Allen Associates advised ISG on the acoustic design for a 90-bed residential care-home at the former Lannock School site in Letchworth Garden City.
We provided design guidance to ensure acoustic performance standards were achieved in the internal areas in line with planning condition requirements, as well as advising on noise and vibration control for mechanical plant, kitchen and laundry equipment.
New Care Homes – Kent PFI Project
Client: United House
Architects: Calford Seaden
Planning Consultants: Calford Seaden
Scope: To assist with achieving noise-related planning conditions for the site and also carry out Sound and Air Pressure testing to demonstrate compliance with parts E and L1A in this series of care homes built as part of the ‘Better Homes Active Lives’ PFI project for Kent County Council. The above photographs show the Morgan Stanley and Hopkins Field care homes.
Acoustic Comfort in Laboratories – Horsham
Client: Novartis
Project Managers: Arcadis
Scope: To provide world-class acoustics inside the laboratory areas of Novartis’ UK research facility and give excellent working environments inside what can be challenging environments containing large quantities of noisy test equipment. This involved detailed survey work and computer modelling of the existing laboratories and extensive consultation with Novartis staff to establish how acoustic treatments can be incorporated without interrupting workflow or reducing efficiency. The photo shows a screenprint of the impulse dispersion pattern inside one of the laboratories.
Pharmaceutical Plant Cooling Compound – High Wycombe
Client: Johnson & Johnson
Project Managers: Modus Unitech
Scope: To design the acoustic treatment required to achieve the stringent planning noise limits for a new cooler compound. Due to the proximity of dwellings and a care home, extensive acoustic treatment was required to the equipment together with screening/bunding. The new compound can be seen in the bottom right hand corner of the photograph.
New Laboratories – Cambridge
Client: Kilby & Gayford
Scope: To assist in achieving the stringent Home Office noise criteria for these new laboratories which form part of the Genome project. The photograph shows commissioning tests in progress for the extensive mechanical services required for this type of project .
Special Education Needs (SEN) School – Milton Keynes
Client: Milton Keynes City Council
Architects: Architecture MK
M&E Consultants: AMK
Scope: To acoustically design this new school specifically for pupils with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). This required several specialist acoustic environments to be created to achieve the required theruputic environment, in addition to the standard BB93 criteria. Full details of the project can be read in School Building Issue 10. Walnuts is one of several SEN school projects that Cass Allen have advised on .
New Health Centre – Wooton Vale, Bedfordshire
Client: NHS
Contractors: Terrapin Construction
Scope: To assist with achieving appropriate speech privacy between treatment areas and waiting areas. The photographs show sound insulation and reverberation tests in progress. In view of the low ambient noise levels surrounding this rural health centre it was necessary to specify electronic sound masking systems throughout the waiting areas.
