PROCEEDINGS of the
23rd International Congress on Acoustics
9 to 13 September 2019 in Aachen, Germany

Adaptive acoustic comfort: assessing noise with provisions forventilation and overheating in dwellings
Jack HARVIE-CLARK1; Anthony CHILTON2; Nick CONLAN1; David TREW3
1Apex Acoustics Ltd, Gateshead, UK
2

Max Fordham LLP, London, UK

3

Bickerdike Allen & Partners, London, UK

ABSTRACTIn the design of residential developments, it has been common practice for façade sound insulation (to protect
against outdoor noise) to be considered separately from the provisions for ventilation and for mitigating
overheating. This fragmented approach has led to different designers making different, incompatible
assumptions about the internal environmental quality conditions: the acoustic designer assumes that windows
are closed to control external noise ingress, while the mechanical designer assumes that windows are open
for ventilation or mitigating overheating. Occupants are likely to accept reasonable increases of external noise
ingress when using windows to mitigate overheating: adaptive acoustic comfort – but what is reasonable?
The problem is exacerbated by increased overheating risk in modern energy efficient buildings and futureclimate scenarios. The Association of Noise Consultants has produced the draft Acoustics Ventilation andOverheating (AVO) Residential Design Guide. The AVO Guide recommends an approach to acoustic
assessment that takes regard of the interdependence of provisions for external noise ingress, ventilation andoverheating. This paper describes the context, background and content of the AVO Guide. There arereferences to passive attenuated options for ventilative cooling to help designers avoid simply specifying
mechanical cooling.

Keywords: Acoustics, noise, ventilation, overheating, dwellings, residential, facade sound insulation, passive
attenuated ventilative cooling.

1. INTRODUCTION
In the design of residential developments, it has been common practice for façade sound insulation(to protect against outdoor noise) to be considered separately from the provisions for ventilation andfor mitigating overheating. This fragmented approach has led to diﬀerent designers making diﬀerent,
incompatible assumptions about the internal environmental quality (IEQ) conditions: while theacoustic designer assumes that windows are closed to control external noise ingress, the mechanicaldesigner, considering ventilation and mitigation of overheating, assumes that windows are open.
Conlan et al (1) reviewed 122 planning applications for major developments in London between 2014
and 2017, which had both noise and over- heating assessments; 85% of these assumed closed windows
for reasonable noise conditions, with open windows assumed for reasonable thermal conditions. No
assessment of acoustic conditions when using opening windows to provide thermal comfort was made.
The result is residential accommodation in which the occupants may choose either acoustic comfort
or indoor air quality and thermal comfort, but the extent of achieving a reasonable balance between
thermal and acoustic comfort is rarely considered.
The risk of overheating is exacerbated by global heating and the move towards better insulated,
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jhc@apexacoustics.co.uk

more airtight, often lightweight buildings with large amounts of fenestration. Heightened risk meansthat many modern residential buildings require windows to be open for longer periods in the year to
mitigate overheating, compared with older buildings. The need to consider residential development
on noisier sites, particularly in urban areas, means that new dwellings may also b e subject to highenvironmental noise levels. The Chartered Institute for Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) TM60
– Good practice in the design of homes (2) describes the need to consider integrated design and notesthat early consideration is often required to achieve passive design solutions. The need to open
windows to achieve reasonable IEQ has hitherto rarely been properly considered in the design of the
façade sound insulation: indeed, there has been no guidance on how to do so.
1.1 Planning and noise
A requirement to assess and provide mitigation against outdoor sound for a residential developmentin the UK in urban areas is likely to be invoked through the local planning authority as regulators in
the planning system; thus, the local planning authority maybe responsible for assessing and enforcing
the proposed mitigation. The local authority may have standards for the control of noise as well as
overarching sustainability standards requiring an assessment of the need to mitigate overheating risk.
The need for and provision of adequate ventilation is outlined in the Building Regulations andtherefore managed through the building control system. Although there is currently no statutory
requirement to assess the potential for overheating in dwellings as part of the English Building
Regulations (beyond a tick box exercise in SAP), an assessment may be undertaken to meet planning
and/or the developer’s requirements. Hence, as well as being undertaken by diﬀerent designers, theadequacy of the provisions for each aspect may be assessed by diﬀerent bodies and potentially basedon diﬀerent assumptions about the use of the windows.
The ProPG: Planning & Noise (ProPG) (3) was jointly issued by the Institute of Acoustics, theAssociation of Noise Consultants and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in June 2017.
The ProPG provides a framework to consider noise impacts for resid ential development. It describes
the need to undertake an assessment of the acoustic impacts of the ventilation strategy and provisions
or overheating where closed windows are necessary to achieve reasonable internal noise levels.
The Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) established a working group at the end of 2015 toprovide guidance on acoustic conditions and design when considering both the provision of ventilationand prevention of overheating – the Acoustics, Ventilation and Overheating (AVO) Guide (4). The
information being developed by the AVO group was fed back to the ProPG group; the AVO Guideoﬀers a means of undertaking an integrated assessment of no ise with proposed provisions forventilation and overheating. This paper describes the progress of the AVO Guide that has progressedsince the earlier presentation of this work by Harvie-Clark et al. (5) This work developed out of the
problems in residential design for ventilation and noise as previously described by Harvie -Clark andSiddall (6).
Appropriate application of the AVO Guide is intended to align with the principles of good acoustic
design as described in the ProPG when considering internal noise level guidelines. The ProPG
contains no quantitative guidance on when the designer should implement noise mitigation for theoccupants, but merely states a set of principles. The AVO Guide intends to inform this lack of guidance
so that all stakeholders may adopt a consistent approach, and suitable measures are taken to protect
occupants’ residential environments from excessive noise in a holistic manner.
1.2 Unintended adverse consequences
The evolution of energy performance requirements under building regulations has led to increased
air tightness and enhanced thermal insulation. However, these changes can have unintended
consequences. Internal air quality can be poor unless ventilation systems are eﬀective, whereas theeﬃcacy of ventilation systems in leakier buildings was of less consequence. When there is anincreased capacity to retain heat, dissipation of excessive heat gains can become more problematic,with the consequential increase in overheating risk. Other factors currently contributing to overheatingrisk include climate breakdown and the urban heat island eﬀect.
A fragmented design approach results in accommodation that may be uncomfortable to occupy andhence may be considered unsustainable. Residual risks for stakeholders include health and wellbeingrisks for occupants, design risks for consultants and legal risks for developers. The increasingly urgent
need for an integrated approach to consider noise, ventilation and overheating has been the motivation
to produce the AVO Guide.

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1.3 Scope
The AVO Guide is intended for the consideration of new residential development that will be
exposed predominantly to airborne sound from transport sources and to sound from mechanicalservices that are serving the dwellings in question. Other sources of noise, such as noise fromindustrial, commercial or entertainment premises, and of ground -borne noise and vibration, areoutside the scope. New apartments, ﬂats and houses are the most common type of new residential
development; however, the approach may also be used for other types of residential development suchas residential institutions, care homes, etc.
There are other beneﬁts for occupants from opening windows, such as the connection with theoutside, sense of fresh air and perception of draughts when overheating, and sense of control over
one’s environment. Consideration of these factors is beyond the scope of the AVO Guide.
The ProPG emphasises the importance and principles of good acoustic design; the AVO Guide isintended to contribute to the practice of good acoustic design. It is noted that the overarching
aspiration of good acoustic design is that residents may open windows without any adverse acoustic
impact (ProPG: paragraph 2.33); where a site layout achieves these conditions, the portion of the AVO
Guide relating to environmental noise becomes eﬀectually redundant. In particular, the paragraphs
2.34–2.36 of the ProPG indicate that an integrated design approach must be taken to acoustic,
ventilation and thermal comfort conditions.
The AVO Guide includes an explanation of ventilation requirements under the Building
Regulations and as described in Approved Document F (ADF), (7) along with typical ventilation
strategies and associated noise considerations. While these Statutory Requirements have been aroundfor many years their correct implementation into building design from both regulators (local authority)and building designers has been inconsistent. It describes the overheating assessment methodology
described in CIBSE TM59 (8) and identiﬁes potential acoustic criteria and guidance relating to
diﬀerent ventilation and overheating conditions for both environmental noise ingress and building
services noise. There is a worked example of the application of the AVO Guide including potential
design solutions.

2. Current planning policy, regulations and guidance for noise
2.1 Planning policy
Noise management is a devolved issue in the UK. This means that, although there are many
similarities, diﬀerent policies and regulations apply in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In England, the overarching policy on noise management is set out in the Noise Policy Statement for
England (NPSE) (9). It contains the vision of promoting good health and a good quality of life throughthe eﬀective management of noise within the context of Government policy on sustainable
development. The NPSE contains three aims, namely:
Through the eﬀective management and control of environmental, neighbour and neighbourhood
noise within the context of Government policy on sustainable development:
x Avoid signiﬁcant adverse impacts on health and quality of life;x Mitigate and minimise adverse impacts on health and quality of life andx Where possible, contribute to the improvement of health and quality of life.
With regard to land-use planning in England, the relevant policy is primarily set out in the National
Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (10). For noise, the requirements are consistent with the NPSE
and set out at paragraph 180: “Planning policies and decisions should . . .: (a) mitigate and reduce toa minimum potential adverse impacts resulting from noise from new development – and avoid noise
giving rise to signiﬁcant adverse impacts on health and the quality of life”.
The implementation of the policies in the NPPF is supported by a suite of web -based guidance,
including the Planning Practice Guidance on Noise (PPG(N), www.gov.uk/guidance/noise--2). It
contains much advice and includes a table which summarises the noise exposure hierarchy based on
the likely average response. The PPG(N) makes it clear that noise can override other planning
concerns. It points out, though, that neither the NPSE nor the NPPF expects noise to be considered inisolation, separately from the economic, social and other environmental dimensions of proposeddevelopment. In the 2018 revision to the NPPF, there is also a reference at paragraph 149 to mitigating
the risk of overheating.
In their local development plans, Local Planning Authorities can include noise exposure values as3522

standards for various situations. The PPG(N), however, states that care should be taken to avoid thesestandards from being implemented as ﬁxed thresholds as speciﬁc circumstances may justify somevariation being allowed.
2.2 BS 8233
British Standard 8233 (11) provides a wide range of guidance regarding sound insulation and noise
reduction in buildings. For noise from steady external sources, it recommends that it is desirable forthe internal ambient noise levels set out in Table 1 not to be exceeded. These levels are accompanied
by various notes to indicate that the levels are annual average data based on existing guidelines issued
by the World Health Organisation (12,13). Where a development is considered necessary or desirable,
the levels in Table 1 may be relaxed by up to 5 dB and reasonable internal conditions still achieved.
Table 1 – Indoor ambient noise levels for dwelling from BS 8233.
07:00–23:00 h

23:00–07:00 h(LAeq,16 hr)(LAeq,8 h)

Living room

35 dB

-

Dining room/area

40 dB

-

Activity

Location

Resting
DiningSleeping (daytime resting)Bedroom
35 dB
30 dB
The British Standard includes only qualitative, not quantitative guidance regarding the assessmentof noise maxima at night. The lack of quantitative guidance in the British Standard has been addressedby information on guideline values proposed by Paxton et al (17).
2.3 WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region 2018
Published in October 2018, the WHO Environmental Guidelines for the European Region (14)followed a new approach to developing guidance. Throughout the process, the approach used was theGrading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Based on thedeﬁned scope and key questions, these guidelines reviewed the pertinent literature in order toincorporate signiﬁcant research undertaken in the area of environmental noise and health since theCommunity Noise Guidelines (12) and Night Noise Guidelines for Europe (13) were issued.
Eight systematic reviews of evidence were conducted to assess the relationship between
environmental noise and various health outcomes. A separate systematic review of evidence wasconducted to assess the eﬀectiveness of environmental noise interventions in reducing e xposure andassociated impacts on health. We look forward to incorporating the ﬁndings from these reviews and
new Guidelines.
2.4 CIBSE, Guide A, Approved Document F
Recommended comfort criteria for indoor noise levels from mechanical services are given in Table
1.5 of Industry guidance document CIBSE Guide A, (15) although no limits are given for bathrooms,
toilets or circulation areas. Building Regulations Approved Document F (Section 4.3.6) also gives
guidance on noise levels that should not be exceeded by a continuously running mechanical ventilation
system on its minimum low rate, although currently the noise caused by ventilation systems is notcontrolled by the Building Regulations
2.5 Proposed guideline values
The contribution to internal noise levels from transport sources and from mechanical services is
considered separately and independently. For both sources of noise, the AVO guidance makes a clear
distinction between the situation where ventilation is being provided as deﬁned by ADF wholedwelling ventilation (‘ADF ventilation condition’) and the situation where measures are in place toreduce overheating risk (‘overheating condition’). In terms of noise eﬀect, the important distinction
between these two situations is that the ADF ventilation condition applies continuously all year
whereas the overheating condition applies only for a portion of the year. Existing guidance isreferenced for noise from mechanical services. In the case of noise from transportation sources, there
is no distinct or appropriate existing guidance for the overheating condition. The guidance presented
in the AVO Guide considers the potential acceptability of higher internal ambient noise levels in termsof the eﬀect on occupants.

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3. Internal noise levels guidelines: adaptive acoustic comfort
3.1 Transportation noise sources
The desirable internal noise guidelines within Table 4 of BS 8233 (as reproduced in Table 1) shouldbe achieved when providing adequate ventilation as deﬁned by ADF whole dwelling ventilation.
However, it is considered reasonable to allow higher levels of internal ambient noise from transport
sources when higher rates of ventilation are required to mitigate overheating (‘ventilative cooling’).
The basis for this is that the overheating condition occurs for only part of the year, and occupants
may accept a trade-oﬀ between acoustic and thermal conditions given that they have some control
over their environment. Occupants may be more willing to accept higher short-term noise levels inorder to achieve better thermal comfort. The working group are not aware of speciﬁc researchavailable to support this view regarding human response to combined exposure to heat and noise.
However, the notion that control over one’s environment moderates the response to exposure is
accepted in the ﬁeld of thermal comfort and underpins the adaptive thermal comfort model. We
describe this as “adaptive acoustic comfort”. The acceptability of higher internal ambient noise levels
has been considered in terms of various eﬀects such as daytime annoyance and interference withactivities (e.g. conversation) and sleep disturbance at night time.
The eﬀect of increased internal ambient noise from transport noise sources will depend both on theabsolute noise level and the amount of time that an increased ventilation rate is required to control
overheating. A good design process should therefore, as a priority, seek to minimise heat gains, thereby
reducing the amount and duration of ventilation required to control overheating and the consequential
eﬀect from increased noise ingress. A two-level risk assessment procedure is proposed to estimate thepotential impact on occupants in the case of the overheating condition, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Two-level noise assessment procedure – overheating condition
The Level 1 assessment may be suﬃcient for developments on ‘Low’ and possibly ‘Medium’ risksites. The Level 2 assessment may be appropriate for ‘Medium’ risk sites, depending on the potential
overheating risk and is always suggested for ‘High’ risk sites. The Level 1 assessment is based on the3524

assumption of using a partially open window to mitigate overheating. The AVO Guide presents values
that are 13 dB higher than those in Table 2, to suggest a set of external free-ﬁeld noise levels. The
assumed outside-to-inside level diﬀerence of 13 dB is taken into account for partially open windows
from the facade level externally, according to Locher et al (16). This level diﬀerence is considered
representative of typical domestic rooms with simple facade openings of around 2% of the ﬂoor area.
It should be noted that this area of opening is not necessarily adequate to mitigate overheating and,should the design under consideration deviate signiﬁcantly from this situation, then the levels should
be adjusted accordingly. The noise levels suggested in Table 2 assume a steady road traﬃc noise
source but may be adapted for other types of transport.
Table 2 – Guidance for Level 2 assessment of internal noise (external sources) for overheating condition
LAeq,T

LAeq,T

07:00–

23:00–

23:00

07:00

Individual noise events
during 23:00-07:00
Do not normally exceed≤ 35 dB≤ 30 dB

45 dB LAF,max by > 10 dBor 10 times a night> 35 dB> 30 dBandand≤ 40 dB≤ 35 dB-

Example of outcomes

Noise can be heard, but does not cause
any change in behaviour or attitude.

Noise can be heard and causes smallchanges in behaviour and/or attitude.

Risk
category

Negligible

Low

Increasing risk of adverse effect. Noiselevels at the lower end of this category> 40 dB> 35 dBandand≤ 50 dB≤ 42 dB

Do not normally exceed
65 dB LAF,max

may be suitable even where occurring
for a significant proportion of the year.

MediumNoise levels at the upper end of thiscategory may still be suitable provided
they only occur for limited periods.

> 50 dB> 42 dB

Normally exceeds

The noise causes a material change in

65 dB LAF,maxbehaviour and/or attitude.

High

The values presented in these tables should not be regarded as ﬁxed thresholds, and reference canalso be made to relevant dose response relationships, such as those described in ProPG. Regularindividual noise events should also be considered – refer to Appendix A of ProPG for further guidance,
and Paxton et al (17). The risk of an adverse eﬀect occurring will also depend upon the timing, durationand frequency that mitigation of overheating is likely to result in increased internal noise levels. The
daytime levels presented in this table may not be appropriate for residen tial care homes or othersituations where conditions for daytime resting are known, at the design stage, to be of particularimportance.
3.2 Internal noise level guidelines -mechanical services
Human hearing response and annoyance of noise are of primary concern when considering building
services noise in dwellings. A range of research (18–20) demonstrates that occupants adjust
mechanical ventilation systems to a level of noise that is tolerable or disable them entirely if the noise
is not tolerable. Either of these actions can result in insuﬃcient ventilation if infiltration is wellcontrolled in an airtight dwelling; the adverse eﬀects of this include poor indoor air quality andconsequential risk of adverse health eﬀects.
While these studies are examples of how occupants respond to the noise from the equipment, the3525

actual noise levels or the character of the noise that people may tolerate are not well documented in
the literature according to Harvie-Clark et al (18). The guidance values in this chapter assume steadynoise levels without distracting characteristics. There is also very little information relating to the useof mechanical systems which use ambient air to mitigate overheating (‘mechanical ventilative
cooling’), and very few examples of it being used in the UK. Mechanical systems which provide
cooled air are more commonly used and their operation can be complex, with a combination of cooling
options with associated airﬂow rates and noise levels. ADF suggests that to ensure good acoustic
conditions, the noise levels within living rooms and bedrooms should not exceed 30 dB LAeq,T. A
summary of the proposed noise levels from various guidance is shown in Table 3. Recommendations
for desirable internal ambient noise levels for ADF ventilation conditions are set out in Table 3.
Table 3 – Indoor ambient noise levels from mechanical services – guidance level summary
Ventilation
condition

Possible system or design solution

Desirable internal ambient noiselevels from mechanical services, LAeq

ADF Whole

MEV or MVHR

Bedrooms ≤ 26 or 30 dB

dwelling

Minimum low ventilation rate

Living rooms ≤ 30 dB

Intermittent extract fans

Bedrooms ≤ 26 or 30 dB

Continuous MEV or MVHR

Living rooms ≤ 35 dB

Minimum high ventilation rate

Bathroom / WC / kitchen ≤ 45 dB

Manually controlled fan, min. 4 ach-1

No noise limits

ADF
Extract
ADF Purge

Lower noise levels may be appropriate for some residential development, and mechanical services
noise levels not exceeding 24–26 dB LAeq,T within bedrooms may be required to prevent adverse
reaction from some occupants when falling asleep according to Harvie-Clark et al.(18); hence therange of potential criteria in Table 3 for guideline levels in bedrooms.
Recommendations for desirable internal ambient noise levels for overheating conditions are set out
in Table 1.5 of CIBSE Guide A. Section 1.10.10 of CIBSE Guide A states that the comfort criteria are
a guide only, and higher or lower values may be appropriate. It suggests that a range of ±5 dB may be
acceptable depending on the particular situation. The duration, regularity, degree of occupant control
and magnitude of the noise levels associated with the overheating condition should be taken into
consideration when establishing suitable noise levels.
BS EN 15251(23) is currently under revision as Pr-EN 16798-1 (24). The currently proposed noiselevels in Pr-EN 16798-1 would be considered excessive, based on the literature described by Harvie Clark et al (18) and would lead to signiﬁcant problems if adopted. The same values with a very similarclassiﬁcation are also published in BS ISO 17772-1 (25).

4. Conclusions and further research
The integrated assessment of acoustic conditions along with provisions for ventilation andoverheating is urgently needed to prevent residential accommodation being developed that oﬀers
occupants only one of these aspects of IEQ. The AVO Guide oﬀers a comprehensive means toundertake this assessment within the existing planning policy framework for noise in England. The
AVO Guide oﬀers an example of its application as an Appendix to assist the user. Case studies andguidance on potential design solutions to enable passive ventilative cooling in higher noise
environments are also provided as Supporting information.
No existing research has been identiﬁed that investigates the inter-dependence of acoustic andthermal comfort in dwellings or the indoor level from external sources that may be acceptable tooccupants on a short-term basis when the mitigation of overheating is required. Perceived occupant
control over the environment is key to higher tolerance of less than ideal condit ions. It is
recommended that appropriate research should be undertaken on the basis of both lab studies on
relatively small groups under closely controlled conditions and also ﬁeld studies on larger groups toassess behaviour in real-life conditions.
Occupants’ tolerance to noise from mechanical services also requires further research if adverse3526

intervention to the operation of ventilation systems is to be avoided. The authors are collaborating for
funding to pursue this research in conjunction with Salford, Oxford Brookes and Glasgow universities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The ANC Guide has been produced by the working group, all of whom have contributed their timeand eﬀort without ﬁnancial recompense. The working group comprised: A Chilton (Max Fordham),
Chair of Working Group; J Harvie-Clark (Apex Acoustics); N Conlan (Apex Acoustics); D Trew
(Bickerdike Allen); A Long (Sandy Brown); M Hyden (Cundall); J Healey (WSP); A Passmore (Arup);
B Jobling (Hoare Lea); M Scaife (MLM); M Swainson (BRE); I MacArthur (Clarke Saunders
Associates); J Paris-Newton (RMP), S Turner (ST Acoustics), J McCullough, (Mid-Kent).

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