Healthcare Acoustics

Healthcare buildings present some of the most demanding acoustic design challenges. Patient privacy, speech intelligibility, ventilation noise control and sound insulation between clinical, administrative and public areas must all be addressed within the requirements of Healthcare Technical Memorandum 08-01.

Spectrum has experience across health centres, medical centres, care homes and hospital environments.

We advise on the full range of acoustic conditions including airborne and impact sound insulation, environmental noise ingress, roomside ventilation noise and reverberation control in occupied spaces.
On urban sites, controlling mechanical plant noise in constrained locations is a particular challenge. We develop robust plant noise strategies that satisfy planning officers and Environmental Health while keeping the design practical and cost-effective.

We work closely with architects, M&E consultants and main contractors to deliver acoustic environments that support patient wellbeing, clinical function and regulatory compliance.

Projects include:

• Bar Hill Heath Centre, Cambridge
• Kilburn Park Medical Centre, Kilburn
• St James’s Hospital, Leeds
• Peterborough General Hospital
• Hope Hospital, Salford
• Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham
• Central Sheffield University Trust Audiometry Centre
• 12 health centres for various Primary Care Trusts under NHS LIFT programme
• Veterinary Practices, Stevenage and Guidlford