Standards Articles
Approved Document E Acoustics — What Part E Actually Requires for New Buildings
Approved Document E specifies airborne sound insulation (DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 45 dB) and impact sound (L'nT,w ≤ 62 dB) for separating walls and floors in new dwellings. This guide covers every requirement, Robust Standard Details, pre-completion testing, and a worked example for a terraced house party wall.
AS/NZS 2107:2016 Acoustic Design Guide — Every Room Type, Every Australian Standard
AS/NZS 2107:2016 specifies recommended and maximum noise levels for over 40 room types in Australian buildings. This is the complete guide with every table, the relationship to NCC Volume 1, measurement methodology, and a worked example for a 100 m² Australian office fitout.
BB93 School Acoustic Design Guide 2015 — Every Classroom Type, Every Requirement
BB93:2015 specifies acoustic requirements for 14 distinct room types in UK schools — from standard classrooms (RT60 ≤ 0.6s) to SEN rooms (≤ 0.4s). This is the complete guide with every table, every IANL limit, compliance evidence, and a worked example for a new-build primary school.
BREEAM Hea 05 Acoustic Performance — How to Earn All 4 Credits
BREEAM Hea 05 awards up to 4 credits for acoustic performance in offices, schools, hospitals, and residential buildings. Only 12% of BREEAM Excellent projects earn all 4 credits. This guide covers every credit level, evidence requirements, and a worked example for a BREEAM Excellent office.
DIN 18041:2016 Complete Guide — Quality Classes, Room Groups, Calculation Method
DIN 18041:2016 classifies rooms into 5 quality classes (A1–A5) with volume-dependent RT60 targets. This complete guide covers every quality class, the calculation method per §6, comparison with ISO 3382, and a worked example for a 200 m³ German classroom.
Green Star IEQ-4 Acoustic Comfort Credits — Complete Guide for Australian Projects
Green Star Design & As Built v1.3 awards up to 3 points for acoustic comfort under IEQ-4. This guide covers every credit pathway, AS/NZS 2107 integration, NCC Section F5 requirements, and a worked example for a 5 Star Green Star office in Sydney.
HTM 08-01 Healthcare Acoustic Design — NHS Requirements for Every Room Type
HTM 08-01 specifies acoustic performance requirements for NHS healthcare premises — from hospital wards (NR 35–40) to operating theatres (NR 35) to MRI suites. This guide covers every room type, speech privacy considerations, sound insulation, and a worked example for an NHS outpatient clinic.
ISO 3382-1 for Concert Halls: Every Parameter, Every Measurement Method, Every Target
ISO 3382-1:2009 defines 10 room acoustic parameters for performance spaces — T30, EDT, C80, D50, Ts, G, LF, IACC, and more. This guide covers every parameter's definition, JND, measurement setup, and target ranges for symphonic halls, chamber music, and opera houses.
LEED v4.1 EQ Acoustic Performance Credit — Complete Guide to Earning 2 Points
The LEED v4.1 EQ Acoustic Performance credit awards up to 2 points for background noise control, RT60 compliance, and sound insulation. This guide covers every requirement path, NC curve calculations, documentation needs, and a worked example for a 3-storey office targeting LEED Gold.
NABERS IEQ Acoustic Performance — Design Guide for Australian Office Buildings
NABERS Indoor Environment (IE) ratings assess acoustic performance as one of four comfort pillars in Australian office buildings. This guide covers the acoustic assessment methodology, star rating thresholds, the relationship to AS/NZS 2107, and a worked example for a 2,000 m² Sydney CBD office.
ANSI/ASA S12.60 Complete Guide: American Classroom Acoustics Standard
ANSI S12.60-2010 is the American standard for classroom acoustics, specifying maximum RT60 (0.6s), maximum background noise (35 dBA), and minimum STI (0.60). Here is every requirement explained with calculation examples, compliance methods, and how it compares to BB93 and DIN 18041.
BB93:2015 Complete Guide: UK School Acoustics Standard
Building Bulletin 93 (BB93:2015) sets the acoustic requirements for all school buildings in England and Wales. It specifies RT60 limits, background noise levels (BNL), and sound insulation — all mandatory under Building Regulations. Here is every requirement, room type, and compliance method.
IEC 60268-16 Complete Guide: Speech Transmission Index (STI) Standard
IEC 60268-16:2020 defines the Speech Transmission Index — the definitive metric for speech intelligibility in rooms. Here is every aspect of the standard explained: the STI calculation method, STIPA measurement procedure, quality scale, and how building codes worldwide use it.
ISO 3382 Complete Guide: Room Acoustics Measurement and Parameters
ISO 3382 is the international standard for measuring and evaluating room acoustics. Part 1 covers performance spaces, Part 2 covers ordinary rooms, Part 3 covers open plan offices. Here is every parameter, measurement method, and requirement explained — with the specific clause references you need for compliance documentation.
WELL v2 Feature 74 (Sound) Complete Guide: Every Requirement, Threshold, and Compliance Path
WELL v2 Feature 74 has three parts: Sound Mapping (RT60), Sound Barriers (background noise), and Sound Masking (speech privacy/STI). Here is every threshold, every space type, every measurement condition, and the compliance pathway for each part — from precondition to optimization.
WELL v2 Feature 74 Decoded: Every Acoustic Requirement, Every Calculation, Every Clause
WELL Building Standard v2 Feature 74 has three parts with different requirements for RT60, background noise, and speech privacy. Most WELL assessors fail Part 3 because the speech privacy STI calculation is never written down in one place — until now.