Photo: Mostar Old Town buildings with stone. Photo © Eminent Atelier
What is noise pollution
Noise and sound waves that harm the hearing and lifestyle are called noise pollution. According to general knowledge and research on acoustic noise the level of sound that is normal to the human ear is different than the one that is upsetting and damaging for health. While listening for example loud music is a common thing for celebrations, summer and winter holidays, if the frequency of habits is usual then it becomes a danger for anyone around and changes the perspective on such groups of people. Clean the air from noise pollution and sound pollution.
Soundboard is an audio mixer, digital mixer and similar technical elements that can be seen in any audio studio, music studio, cultural and arts centres, theatres with: sound correction, noise, echoes even voice corrections for each theatre show, concerts, orchestra and other events as seen in the unique cultural building of the National Theatre Mostar from mid 20th century. There is by another definition, airborne and structure-borne sound therefore the same goes for sound and noise pollution. Echoes have usually very low decibels and higher frequency while loud music and acoustic noise have higher decibels.
Spreading of noise
In interiors of any building, house or apartment the spreading of sound and noise goes mostly through the walls and ceilings, then doors and windows. Type of ceilings. Construction ways, detailed floor section elements and slab design. When talking about the ceiling, high quality thermal and sound isolation products for the floors and ceiling are used to block the noise inconveniences such as noisy walking and "the hammer sound" of loud upstairs neighbors in addition then blocking the noise from garages and similar building areas with continuous sound and noise, echoes that travels through the building and sound that upsets habitants, irritates and makes bad living lifestyle convenient. Wooden constructions such as in heritage buildings as seen in cover photo are proven that have lower noise production as it spreads differently through wooden ceilings although some other characteristics have to be taken into considerations.
RIBA online presentations mention the noise level by acoustic laboratory measures with acoustic level monitor, where basic level is about 20 dB showing that not acceptable is above 40 dB while between 20 dB and 40 dB is noisy but acceptable and occasionally disturbing.
Easy airflow can be mostly by prefabricated concrete slabs, new concrete slabs and precast concrete slabs as building construction elements with the connection parts to walls, pillars and staircases. A very important building components are floor finishes and ceiling types with altogether the layers of the floor to ceiling section in detail construction. From ceiling to floors then wall and window types, ceilings of open unheated and outdoor spaces, parking garage spaces, new street types incorporated with buildings are considerably important in architectural design to check and prove the way it changes building technical data such as acoustic elements with acoustic isolation especially in already built projects.
Photo: Concert hall. Photo © Eminent Atelier
How to block noise pollution?
To lower the acoustic and echo noise and sound waves that flow through buildings in interior redesign it is good to use floor coverings, laminates, PVC floor additions, wooden constructions, and essential to open the mind to behaviour of the habitants who live there towards habitants in one local area or housing community, understand where the behaviour comes from and why, then to see the car types that are used and stop making bad so - called "innovative design" with car parking spaces. As mentioned architectural building features can be added in sustainability in architecture and BIM ( Building Information Modelling ) project properties. According to the online presentation organized by Croatia GBC (Green Building Council Croatia) and supported by Croatian Chamber of Architects, the key factors of acoustic features of mineral wool are: fiber orientation, fiber size, density and chemical composition. Furthermore it is mentioned by Croatia GBC webinar that when sound is flowing through the structure of mineral wool the acoustic energy is lowered.
The most important way to block noise from the ceiling is to make sound - thermal insulation boards on the concrete slab. If the noise comes from the floor of your own house, it's good to use floor sound - thermal boards and other mentioned options to minimize the noise and insulate from any sound echoes and high - level sounds. Ceiling types such as elements of double ceiling design in interior are proven to be aesthetically a good choice for adaptations and redesign and in some cases can be an addition for better acoustic insulation with good choice of partition elements and ceiling gypsum-cardboards. Floor design with construction detail has floor slabs with beams as architectural design construction elements of buildings that makes the building function.
If the unheated outdoor space is made only with construction elements with colour finishes, it is needed to check outdoor heights, ceiling heights, make double ceilings and wind load statics check, wind technical proofs for space comfortability, thermal and acoustic insulation, then other technical needs considering building security, aesthetic possibilities with principles and criteria of living in multistorey dwelling and housing buildings. Not to mention housing rules as in school.
Noise reduction and acoustic regulations
Elementary rule is that if there is an interference and disturbance of household peace and order, living habits and comfort of habitants by attention seekers and using noise and high level sounds to threaten and lower health conditions, lower normal living and working functions in apartments and this is negatively affecting society, showing how vandalism and breaking order and peace can be challenged and used during the COVID - pandemic as a crisis. Making life harder to habitants to "show big egos of small people" represents diseases in society and society normatives.
How can you upgrade the level of your apartment space that you use for home office? Check the type of construction of the ceiling and floor section details, then the height and options how to add ceiling edge profiles and ceiling profiles, perhaps add double ceilings to your work spaces to emphasize the work space from other rooms in your apartment and house. An easy and good way to refresh your apartment, studio and home office is when colouring the ceilings ask for colours that have a higher noise and sound technical testing proof certificate, meaning to use colours that are sound absorbing making your space not only beautiful, refreshing and disinfected of humidity and fungi but also sound absorbing. Such colours should be used for outdoor ceilings for space ways, cars and places that are connected to stairs and similar vertically acoustic spaces. Adjustable height with acoustic wool boards, installation for uneven joints, metal design components. To control acoustic comfort and environment.