The acoustic design of schools in England and Wales

Abstract

Legislation governing the acoustic design of schools was introduced in England and Wales in July 2003. The acoustic performance standards which must be achieved are published by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in ‘‘Building Bulletin 93: Acoustic Design of Schools.’’ The UK government has recently announced plans for a major school buildings program; over 200 new secondary schools are to be built and many existing schools are to be refurbished. The DfES has published designs for ‘‘exemplar schools’’ by many of Britain’s leading architects. However, current trends in architectural design such as the use of highly reflective materials and the introduction of large open plan spaces make it difficult to comply with the specified acoustic performance standards. There are also conflicts between the acoustic and other requirements, such as the desire for natural ventilation in classrooms. This paper outlines the regulations, presents data to show that many existing schools in England do not comply with previous or current standards, and gives examples to illustrate the effects of various acoustic treatments of classrooms. Issues concerning implementation of the regulations are discussed and examples of ‘‘good’’ and ‘‘bad’’ acoustic designs of schools are given.