Acoustics in Healthcare

Acoustic design is fundamental to the quality of healthcare buildings and

supports safety, health, healing, and well-being.

Queen Silvia’s Children’s Hospital

Acoustics and Well-Being Go Hand in Hand

Sound affects us both physiologically and psychologically. Noise, or
“unwanted sound”, can increase heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate
and even blood cholesterol levels. Conversely, pleasant sounds can help
create a sense of well-being. Music can be used to treat depression, to
reach autistic people and to calm and relax tense patients. Good acoustic
conditions improve patient privacy and dignity, and promote essential sleep
patterns. Such conditions are key to healing. Good acoustic design brings
benefits regarding patient and staff comfort and morale, as well as
improved efficiency and usability of equipment.

A Comprehensive Service
Our global team of specialist acousticians cover every aspect of the
discipline in healthcare, including environmental and building acoustics and
niche areas such as room acoustics, public address and voice alarm
(PAVA), and building vibrations.

Overall, our aims are to prevent noise breaking in from external sources
such as traffic, control the noise and vibrations from equipment, to insulate
walls and floors to control the transmission of sound between rooms, and to
assure audio systems for public announcements can be well heard
throughout the space.

Complex Range of Spaces and Activities

Complex hospital buildings require careful, strategic design to address the
acoustics in a multitude of different spaces and their uses, ranging from
reception areas to hospital wards, and from consulting rooms to operating
theatres. Key considerations are to allow for confidentiality in treatment and
consulting rooms, to provide restful conditions in wards and bedrooms, to
assure good working conditions for staff and to support infection control
with the incorporation of easily cleanable surfaces.

At Alder Hey Children’s Health Park in Liverpool, we provided detailed

acoustic consultancy services through the design and construction
phases right up to completion and commissioning testing.
Alder Hey Children Health Park

Specialist Facilities
We also design state-of-the-art facilities with very specific acoustic criteria.
For Alder Hey, we provided the detailed specifications for high-performance
audiology booths, and at Box Hill Hospital in Victoria, Australia, we were
involved in the design of a specialist sleep clinic.

Vibration Control
Vibration is a key issue for hospitals due to the presence of sensitive
medical equipment, such as MRI scanners. This can be caused by footfall,
for example if the MRI scanners are located in a lightweight timber-framed
structure.

Great Ormond Street Hospital in London is undergoing major refurbishment

while the hospital remains operational. We conducted vibration monitoring
and tests in situ and established thresholds to prevent vibration due to
neighbouring construction activity from compromising the operation of the
medical equipment.

The Benefits of Early-Stage Involvement

We advocate early-stage involvement in any project, engaging with clients
and hospital users to understand their requirements and building in options
for future flexibility, as hospitals are upgraded or bring in new technologies.

We use computer modelling to enable our clients to understand the

acoustics of a space long before designs are finalized and the building has
been constructed. By influencing the building layout and the materials used
from the outset, we can avoid expensive remedial treatment later in the
project, saving time and money in the design of efficient, effective hospitals.