Article archive
Research notes · 7 min read
A 2026 simulation study shows why low-frequency sound in connected rooms may not decay neatly—and why source position, room absorption and openings can change what we hear.
Buildings · 7 min read
England's 2026 ventilation guidance makes an important distinction: delivering enough air is not the same as delivering it quietly enough for everyday use.
Buildings · 8 min read
A 2026 critical review explains why sound insulation and felt floor vibration are related but different—and why improving one does not guarantee the other.
Measurement · 7 min read
New laboratory research shows that below 100 Hz, the method used to assess a window can materially change the result and the apparent difference between products.
Measurement · 8 min read
A 2026 systematic review shows why repeatable floor tests are essential, yet cannot reproduce every footstep, jump or dropped toy heard in a real apartment.
Buildings · 7 min read
A new residential study shows why vibration from an underground railway can travel through soil and structure before radiating as audible low-frequency sound inside a home.
Environmental noise · 10 min read
A practical acoustic commentary on Air Navigation Guidance 2026, aircraft noise inside homes, façade performance, ventilation and why external noise contours do not tell the whole story.
Research notes · 7 min read
A small laboratory study of 18 Hz infrasound is a useful prompt to investigate low-frequency sound carefully—but not a licence to diagnose a building from a feeling alone.
Research notes · 7 min read
A room that feels calm during leisure may be distracting during focused work because acoustic suitability depends on the activity, not only the sound level.
Research notes · 7 min read
Floor level can change exposure to lobbies, neighbours and external façades, but height alone is a poor shortcut for acoustic comfort.
Buildings · 7 min read
A balcony can screen road traffic, reflect sound towards a window or resonate at particular frequencies. Its acoustic value depends on the whole geometry, not its presence alone.
Environmental noise · 7 min read
Drone noise is shaped by tones, rapid fluctuations, repetition and the quietness of the setting. A useful residential assessment therefore needs more than one headline sound level.
Environmental noise · 7 min read
Removing engine noise can improve a street’s soundscape, especially in slow and stop–start traffic. But at the bedroom window, speed, tyres, road surface and traffic mix still decide much of the result.
Research notes · 7 min read
A single dB figure cannot describe changes in operating condition, tonal character or the masking effect of a neighbourhood. New research helps explain why careful placement still matters.
Research notes · 7 min read
A smaller opening may reduce noise, but it also changes cooling airflow. New field research shows why acoustic and overheating design need the same window geometry.
Research notes · 7 min read
Why the front and back of the same home can provide radically different acoustic environments, and what that means for retrofit design.
Windows and doors · 6 min read
Sound finds the weakest path. The glass may test brilliantly while frames, vents and surrounding walls tell a different story.
Measurement · 6 min read
Two rooms can share a headline noise level and feel entirely different. Frequency, peaks and timing help explain why.
Buildings · 6 min read
Closing a sound path can also close an air path. Successful acoustic design has to resolve both requirements together.