For residential developments, it is common for the provision of facade sound insulation to protect against outdoor sound to be considered separately from the ventilation strategy and any strategy for mitigating overheating. This approach can lead to different designers making different, incompatible assumptions (eg windows closed for sound insulation, windows open for ventilation or mitigating overheating), resulting in accommodation that may be uncomfortable to occupants. This problem has been exacerbated by future climate change effects, the move towards better insulated, more airtight buildings and the need, particularly in urban areas, to consider development on noisier sites. In response to this issue, the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) has recently produced a draft version of the 'Acoustics Ventilation and Overheating Residential Design Guide' - the AVO Guide. This was released in February as draft for consultation and the consultation period is open until 11th May. The AVO guide recommends an approach to acoustic assessment that takes regard of the interdependence of provisions for acoustics, ventilation and overheating. An overview of the AVO Guide is reported here to include a description of the suggested acoustic criteria relating to different ventilation and overheating conditions for both environmental noise ingress and building services noise. The basis for the suggested acoustic criteria is summarized and further discussion is provided relating to the consideration of individual noise events using the L_(max) parameter. An overview of how the AVO Guide would typically be applied in the design process is also given, along with examples of facade design that can be explored should a passive solution be possible.
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