Quiet Mark
The average home can be a noisy environment,
with families going about their daily lives;
children playing, floorboards creaking, appliances
whirring, rattling and sometimes thundering
into our consciousness. According to research
carried out by Quiet Mark and Defra, 76 per cent
of people in the UK feel that the quality of their
home life is affected by noise. The noise of life will
always be there, but how can interior designers
use the latest materials, products and techniques
to turn a loud layout into a soothing space?
The issue of acoustics is currently receiving
more attention in public spaces and hospitality
environments.
Some good examples include the Minister Building
in the heart of London’s business district, which
uses a revolutionary acoustic plaster system from
Armourcoat, designed to optimise the acoustics
of interior spaces, allowing sound energy to pass
through the surface while achieving a class ‘A’
Noise Reduction Coefficient rating.
In the Shard main reception, BASWA Phon’s
smoothest acoustic marble surface coating,
Classic Top, transforms the entirety of the high
ceiling into a surface that absorbs echo and
reverberation, but with the appearance of solid,
smooth gypsum.
The de-stressing nature of a calm environment is
vitally important in these locations, but shouldn’t
that also be the case in our clients’ homes and all
living spaces?
Interior acoustics focus on the airbourne sounds
inside rooms and how these propagate and
interact with the surfaces and objects in that room.
It specifically looks at how sound reflects on hard
surfaces, scatters in a potentially unordered and
random way and where sound can be absorbed.
However it’s very difficult for interior designers to
test the acoustic properties of a space, let alone
know which products and materials can assist
acoustic performance.
This is where Quiet Mark comes in. Quiet Mark
is the international consumer champion award
programme associated with the Noise Abatement
Society charitable foundation, founded in 1959.
Quiet Mark verifies the claims of companies
worldwide to confirm and award the best noise
reduction performance products including building
materials, machines and appliances, providing
a world-first to on the best solutions to noise
problems for our homes, workplaces, living spaces
and outdoor environments.
Quiet Mark make selecting the quietest technology
and noise-busting high-performance solutions easy
with the distinctive purple ‘Q’ symbol award found
in the online awarded product directory and on
awarded product packaging. The assurance of the
trusted third-party endorsed products, validated by
Quiet Mark acoustics award experts, saves time and
trouble sourcing the best noise reduction solutions.
It provides a fast way to make sure aural design is
equally considered to reduce the impact of sound-
overload on our bodies in the designed space. Indoing so, we support the cardiovascular system
reducing raised cortisol reactions, which have
knock on effects on our insulin levels and starve us
of the rest we need to fully recharge.
Consumers are now more conscious of how the
impact of noise will affect their day-to-day living
space and busy lifestyles. It’s worth considering
the soundscape of your next projects with
excellent acoustics as a special focus, as we share
the responsibility of protecting the health of the
generation to come by creating a delightful
aural environment.http://www.quietmark.comPEACE & QUIET
POPPY SZKILER, FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, QUIET MARK, DISCUSSES HOW DESIGNERS
CAN UTILISE EXCELLENT ACOUSTICS MATERIALS FOR THE QUIET LIFE IN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN