Acoustic considerations in office conversion projects: A case study

Abstract

From the life-cycle performance point of view, building extension and conversion projects can represent a potentially attractive alternative to new building projects. Whereas thermal upgrading and energy efficiency receive much attention in such projects, other aspects of building performance (e.g., acoustics) may be overlooked in the process. Specifically, noise protection and speech privacy criteria play an important role in occupants' comfort and productivity. In this context, this paper presents the results of a recent in-depth acoustic study of a recently completed roughly 350 m² large office extension project in Vienna, Austria. It consists of a meeting room, an open-plan office space, as well as a number of individual rooms. The individual spaces are connected to the larger open-plan office room via a gallery. The study included the following steps: i) generation of a digital model of the office; ii) estimation of the acoustically relevant properties of the pertinent architectural elements; iii) implementation of a measurement plan to obtain the values of key acoustic performance indicators (specifically, sound level differences between office zones, reverberation times in different office rooms/areas); iv) evaluation of the empirically assessed acoustic conditions in the office spaces based on applicable standards; v) generation of an acoustic simulation models using a commercially available simulation tool; vi) calibration of the simulation model based on measured data; vii) Utilization of the calibrated simulation model toward modeling and evaluation of potential acoustic improvement measures (e.g., partitions, sound absorbing elements). The outcome of this case study, which may be of relevance to similar building extension and conversion projects, suggests that the acoustic conditions in the office space are not in accordance with recommendations in applicable standards. Hence, the study also included the exploration of the utility of the aforementioned calibrated simulation model toward the virtual exploration of potential of acoustic improvement options.