The new Building Regulations Approved Document O (AD-O) primarily focuses on avoiding overheating in new homes. However, it also introduces internal noise criteria for bedrooms at night, above which open windows cannot be used to remove excess heat.
This will mean many new residential dwellings will be required to use an alternative means of providing relief from overheating in bedroom areas (i.e. other than open windows). This will lead to more complex and potentially energy intensive overheating design solutions in homes and this is likely to affect the vast majority of new residential developments to some degree, even when located in what are considered to be ‘quiet’ locations.
There is also uncertainty as to how the AD-O acoustic requirements will be enforced and what will be required to demonstrate compliance. Mat Hyden, who leads our acoustics team, is one of the authors of a new guidance document that will provide a methodology for demonstrating compliance with the acoustic requirements of AD-O. Mat has provided his top tips below for identifying and addressing the design challenges that the new AD-O will present. These tips will help reduce design complexity, avoid unexpected project costs and reduce the risk of problems gaining Building control approval.
Download the key takeaways below ↓
Mat Hyden led a webinar on the Acoustic Implications of Approved Document O as part of our Leading Minds webinar series. View the series programme below where you can watch this webinar, as well as many others on a range of development topics.
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