Wallscourt Park, UWE, Bristol

We are pleased to have worked on the recently completed Phase 2 development at Wallscourt Park, University of West of Englane (UWE), Bristol.  The development is part of the wider development works at UWE.

For the Wallscourt Park schemes we were appointed by the main contractor, Interserve, to advise on the internal noise related issues with regards to the Building Regulations Approved Document ‘E’ (including the client led requirement of a +3dB improvement) and also plant noise assessments for BREEAM 2014 Pol 5.

The development is located on the main UWE site in Frenchay, Bristol. The scheme comprises of a mixture four to six storey student accommodation town houses, apartments, and studios. The development was of a mixture of techniques including Metframe and SFS structures with light weight walls and floors. Due to the size  of the scheme and surrounding buildings, the development housed an energy centre to heat and supply other services to to the dwellings.

With our considerable experience in student apartments, residential schemes and lightweight structures we aided the client and Architect (Willmore Iles) in provided detailed acoustic advice for the separating walls, junction and flanking elements to ensure not only the Approved Document ‘E’ requirements (with a +3dB betterment) where met but also that the rooms are fit for purpose with additional consideration provided to separation between bedrooms within each dwelling.

We also used our considerable expertise in building services noise control measures to assist in advising on both the BREEAM Pol 5 requirements, and also noise control measures to the energy centre to ensure the students were not adversely affected by plant noise.

Throughout the design stage we worked closely with the design team to help develop the proposals and advise of any risks and limitations of the design at the early stage of the design. By assisting the architect at the early development stage we advised on best practice measures which have reduced the need for acoustic mitigation measures later on. The scheme has been tested (with all tests meeting the minimum performance standards) and the first residents are due to move in this summer.