Charlotte Fernández
UKIMEA Press Office,Leeds
Arup has opened another of its revolutionary auralisation studios, known as SoundLab, at its Manchester office.
SoundLab enables design teams, stakeholders and sound artists to listen to soundscapes of the natural and built environment before they are physically created. It allows users to experience how different locations and spaces sound, the impact of architectural form on sound quality, and how physical interventions can alter the audible environment.
SoundLab uses the latest audio technology to accurately demonstrate changes in the level of sound, its character, and its location relative to the listener. The facility enables informed discussions around design, as well as providing certainty in outcomes and informing cost savings.
The pioneering technology developed by Arup has been extensively used in the design of numerous world-class performance venues including Milton Court in London, Kulturkvartelet in Bodo, Norway, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as helping to model complex infrastructure projects such as High Speed 2.
“Our existing SoundLab facilities around the globe have been hugely successful for both building design and infrastructure projects. It’s fantastic that Arup has invested in this facility in Manchester and we’re looking forward to sharing this extraordinary environment with our clients and collaborators.
David Hiller, Leader of Acoustics in the North West and Yorkshire, Arup
The Manchester SoundLab will also be used for research, including an Arup sponsored PhD with the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) Centre for Aviation Transport and the Environment (CATE). The research will nvestigate aircraft noise </a>to improve communication between airport operators and surrounding communities.
The opening of SoundLab in Manchester follows the recent milestones of two significant local projects for which Arup undertook the acoustic design: Chetham’s School of Music, the largest of the five specialist music schools in the UK; and Manchester Metropolitan University’s Art & Design School, recently shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize.
If you would like to experience SoundLab for commercial, academic or research activities, please contact [email protected] to arrange a demonstration.