With the market for acoustics and venue consultancy in Queensland expanding, Arup’s internationally renowned acoustics business has established an acoustics team in Brisbane. The team joins the 450 staff operating from Arup’s Brisbane office in Fortitude Valley.
Speaking about the launch of the team, Brisbane office leader Paul Wallis said the new team, led by acoustician Simon Ham, brings international knowledge, experience and management to provide acoustic design services for a range of local projects and clients.
Simon, who joins the Brisbane office from the UK, says a growing awareness of the importance of good acoustical design in buildings had led to a greater emphasis on acoustics in the built environment.
“Although it’s often taken for granted, the importance of good acoustics becomes most noticeable to us when it is ineffective. However, sound is vital to overall experience of a public space or building.
“Its influence impacts everything from behaviour to health and productivity. The acoustic atmosphere is crucial when it comes to creating a unique ‘sense of place’ as well as contributing to the functionality of a building or space.
“Essentially, our role is to predict, understand and control the behaviour of noise and vibration,” he said.
“Through listening to and collaborating with clients, we can tailor acoustic solutions to meet the needs of each individual project.”
The impact of sound, noise and vibration is not limited to buildings alone. Acoustic solutions are also applied to control noise and vibration in infrastructure design – road, rail and air – as well as in environmental prediction assessment and mitigation.
Over the past 28 years, Arup has been responsible for the acoustic design of many high profile projects around the world, including The Bridgewater Hall, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Copenhagen Opera House, HSBC London HQ, the City of Manchester Stadium, Florence High Speed Rail Station and the Melbourne Recital Hall to name a few.
During his 10-year career with Arup, Simon has gained considerable experience in acoustics ranging from conceptual planning right through to completion across all sectors of Arup’s business.
Simon is joined by Will Gouthro in the Brisbane office, who has a strong background in environmental noise (rail, road, industrial) and, in particular, noise and vibration associated with large scale mining.
Simon says improving our acoustic environment is both complex and rewarding.
“The most rewarding aspect of acoustics is the diversity of the projects you participate in and not knowing what will be next – whether it be a concert hall, a recording studio, a planning assessment, a railway design, an airport or a holiday resort.
“And then there are the technical unknowns – how much noise does air make at 55 m/s when it passes over a grille or damper, how much noise and vibration does electrical testing of large switch gear make when taken to the point of destruction, or the surreal unknowns like how quiet is an uninhabited Caribbean Island?”
Arup is a world leader in the implementation of sustainable acoustic design practices and their acoustics skills network allows specialists to draw on the vast internal technical resources available globally.