Acoustics Noise Vibration staff understand the special design requirements for health facilities including: Aged Care, Hospitals, Laboratories, Medical Research, Imaging and Medical Clinics.

The Acoustics Goal:

The goal of the acoustic design for health buildings is to create spaces that enable the care, treatment and speedy recovery of patients. This has included:

• the design of the building façade to control emergency helicopter noise intrusion,
• design of acoustic treatments for clean rooms and PC2 laboratories, and
• designing acoustic treatments for the hospital central energy plant.

Key Elements:

Building projects have included:

• heritage buildings,
• refurbishment of existing facilities, and
• new building projects.

Acoustic work has included:

• noise and vibration monitoring,
• measurement and testing of room acoustics,
• façade design to control aircraft, road, rail and plant noise intrusion,
• setting suitable internal noise criteria,
• reviewing internal noise level requirements for emergency helicopter flights,
• Building Code acoustic design,
• internal acoustic privacy between spaces (via walls, doors, ceilings, floors, ducting),
• separation of noisy areas such as nurses stations and dirty utilities from wards,
• specialised internal acoustic design for audiology booths,
• selection of special finishes for clean rooms and PC2 laboratories,
• ESD and green star rating requirements,
• design of floating floors to limit footfall and workshop noise,
• roof treatments to control rain noise,
• mechanical and electrical plant noise control treatments to meet internal and external noise criteria,
• hydraulic services noise control,
• workplace health and safety considerations for workshop facilities,
• safety in design considerations, and
• defects inspections during construction.

Facilities have included:

• Entrance/ foyer/ atrium spaces,
• medical suites,
• wards,
• consulting rooms,
• treatment rooms,
• operating theatres,
• radiology,
• audiology booths,
• emergency,
• birthing suits,
• dirty utilities,
• medical imaging,
• wards,
• chapel,
• dining rooms,
• kitchen,
• laundry,
• staff areas,
• PC2 an PC3 laboratories,
• animal house facilities,
• indoor swimming pools,
• gymnasium,
• libraries,
• private offices,
• open plan office spaces,
• training rooms,
• board rooms,
• meeting rooms,
• seminar spaces,
• lecture theatres,
• roof top helipads,
• central energy plant,
• plantrooms, and
• workshops.

Projects undertaken by Acoustics Noise Vibration staff have included:

Hospitals

• Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital – Central and East Blocks
• Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital – Central Energy Plant
• Cairns Hospital- laboratories, mental health, Acute Block, Surgical/ Pathology Block, workshops
• Hervey Bay Hospital
• Toowoomba Hospital
• Prince Charles Hospital – medical air facilities
• Holy Spirit Hospital – birthing suites

Medical Research and Teaching Facilities

• Qld Institute of Medial Research (QIMR) Comprehensive Cancer Research Facility, Herston
• Medical Research Centre, Herston
• Anatomy Laboratory – University of Queensland, St Lucia
• School of Medicine – University of Queeensland, Herston
• General Practitioners Training Centre, Stafford

Medical and Community Clinics

• Sports Medicine Clinic refurbishment office and reception acoustic privacy – Holy Spirit Hospital
• Consulting rooms – Holy Spirit Hospital
• Counselling Rooms, Ashgrove
• GP Super Clinic
• Crematorium, Bundaberg

Aged Care

• Woodford Aged Care
• South Tweed Aged Care
• Coolangatta Aged Care & Workshop noise
• Blue Care Aged Care, Redland Bay