The Quiet Mark Podcast

Episode 46: Soundscaping for Success - Solutions For a Noisy World - With Evan Benway, Managing Director at Moodsonic, and Ethan Bourdeau, Sound Concept Lead at IWBI

In a recent Fast Company feature, 'Quiet or I’m quitting: Here’s why your employees are getting so fed up with workplace noise',  Jennifer Alsever writes, "As workers return to offices, they may be less tolerant of pre-pandemic decibel levels, especially if they are introverts".

Noise can make us lose concentration, motivation, and brain functioning: People lose an estimated 86 minutes of productivity each day because of noise distractions, according to a study by Steelcase. It takes another 23 minutes to get back on task after an interruption, according to another University of California at Irvine study.

Sensitivity to noise varies among people. Introverts, for instance, tend to tolerate much less noise than extroverts, according to Susan Cain’s book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking.  She writes of one study in which extroverts chose 72 decibels for the “just right” level of sound, while introverts chose 55 decibels. Those introverts also performed much worse on tasks when exposed to the extrovert’s noise levels.

In the Fast Company article, Amanda ends with a section looking at Solutions for a Noisy world, saying: 

To improve acoustics, companies are installing modular phone booths for quiet work and building huddle rooms with soundproofing that allows everyone in virtual meetings—both at home and in the office—to hear more clearly. On Quiet Mark's Acoustics Academy directory of verified solutions for every application area, you will find such meeting room and booth solutions by brands including BuzziSpace, Vetrospace and BlockO. 

In addition, Amanda notes, "Companies are also turning to “soundscaping.” One UK soundscaping company, Moodsonic, does this by playing a wide range of nature sounds, from the babble of a stream to island forests, inside client offices and thereby silencing noisy conversations or a surge in activity. "The company’s software uses sensors to monitor areas of offices and automatically adjust the sounds", says Evan Benway, managing director of Moodsonic.

Moodsonic was recently Quiet Mark certified and is also one of many solutions listed on Acoustics Academy. In this episode, accompanied by fellow guest, Ethan Bourdeau, Sound Concept Lead at IWBI - The International WELL Building Institute, we take a deep dive into the ways in which sound masking and soundscaping can help support a human-centric approach to building design; creating inclusive spaces that cater to a wide neurodiverse range of occupants, from extroverts to introverts.  

 

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

Episode 45: LOUD IN THE USA! - The Dangers of a Noisy Planet - with Rick Neitzel - Full Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and Global Public Health at University of Michigan

For more than a year, Rick Neitzel has been Full Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and Global Public Health at University of Michigan, where he has worked for over 11 years. In this episode our host, Simon Gosling, asks him to explain the health risks related to noise pollution. 

Quiet Mark was founded 10 years ago, in 2012, to recognise and certify advancements in product manufacturing which reduced unwanted noise and improved acoustics; making it easier for consumers and trade buyers to find the quietest products available on the market. In this episode we return to the core of our roots to revisit why we do the work that we do. 

Rick has recently been involved in Apple's Hearing Study, sharing new data from thousands of participants across the US in an effort to help people better understand their hearing health.

In 2017, he was one of the writers of a study looking at the Economic Impact of Hearing Loss and Reduction of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in the United States.  It estimates that hearing loss affects more than 13% of the working population and claims that if the 20% of hearing loss resulting from excessive noise exposure were prevented, the economic benefit would be substantial, with a core estimate of $123 billion.

Episode 44: I Heard it Through the Grapevine - with Dan Belmont, Wine Ambassador at Liebherr UK

Of the 1,200+  certified products listed on quietmark.com one of the most visited categories is refrigeration. And one of the bet know brands in that category is Liebherr, many of whose fridges, fridge-freezers, freezers and wine cabinets we certify.

Liebherr refrigerators and freezers offer modern design, outstanding technical performance, innovative technology and superb energy efficiency. In developing its refrigerators and freezers, Liebherr pays attention to customer needs so that appliances are convenient to use and make everyday life easier.

One of those people whose life is being made easier by Liebherr is our guest on this episode of The Quiet Mark Podcast,  their Wine Ambassador, Dan Belmont, Proprietor & Wine Buyer at Good Wine x Good People.

Dan has spent hundreds of classroom hours thrilling guests with wine & cheese education on both sides of the Atlantic. From the restaurant floor to festivals, television & radio – Dan shares his passion and curiosity for the world of wine and aims to inspire his guests to start their own life-long journey of wine appreciation.

He is a certified American Wine Expert and holds the Level 3 certification in Wines & Spirits from the WSET. He led the education departments of NYC’s famed Murray’s Cheese, the largest artisan cheese retailer in the US, and Bedales of Borough, a trio of London wine bars inspired by market-driven fare.

Dan currently lives in London with his wife, where he is the Wine Ambassador for Liebherr UK, and proudly supports a variety of international trade associations and producers as a presenter, educator & judge. His decade-plus of experience is the engine behind his latest work - goodwinexgoodpeople.com - now shipping personalised mixed cases UK-wide!

Listen, as our host, Simon Gosling asks Dan to share his story and explore the role of sound in our enjoyment of wine and the dining experience.  

Episode 43: Find Your Quiet Place - with Gregory Scott - Founder at SoundPrint

Followers of Quiet Mark's social media channels will have seen a news feature that we recently shared by Caroline Davies & Harry Taylor in The Guardian,  titled: ‘It’s atmosphere’: is noise of London’s restaurants just part of the charm?

The piece stated that "the capital’s restaurants are the loudest in Europe, and second only to San Francisco worldwide. A random survey by SoundPrint, a global app measuring noise levels, found 80% of 1,350 London restaurants were too loud for conversation".

On tagging that post, Quiet Mark was immediately contacted by SoundPrint's Director of Marketing, Sharon Cohen Bunkin who then enjoyed a call with Quiet Mark CMO & Host of The Quiet Mark Podcast, Simon Gosling, to discover more about one another's companies.

In this episode we enjoy a conversation with Gregory Scott, Founder at SoundPrint, an app that not only shows you how loud a restaurant is before you book, it also allows you to take your own sound measurements and write your own sound reviews, enabling restaurateurs to address noise complaints that could be loosing them business and repeat custom.

In Spring 2018, Scott launched SoundPrint. The app, which has now achieved 170k downloads, has a built-in meter that measures sound levels for at least 15 seconds, recording levels in real time, as well average and maximum decibels.

Download the app here: https://www.soundprint.co/

Loud restaurants aren't just annoying — they could be hazardous to our health. According to the World Health Organization, anyone exposed to sound levels over 85 decibels for more than eight hours could be at risk of hearing loss. This is about the same sound level as a leaf blower or gas-powered lawn mower.

Episode 42: Eco-Friendly Acoustics- Creating spaces that are kind to our ears and to our planet!

Together, building and construction are responsible for 39 per cent of all carbon emissions in the world. To meet the UK government’s commitment to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by 2050, the building industry has a big role to play, requiring radical cuts in emissions from construction and operation.

Our guest on this episode of The Quiet Mark Podcast is Nigel Burton, Director of Acoustics at Temple, Board Member at The Association of Noise Consultants and Member of the London Branch of the IOA Institute of Acoustics. 

Our host, Simon Gosling, asks Nigel how he brings sustainability to his specification decisions when sourcing acoustic products to suit his designs and recommendations. Nigel also raises the case for choosing refurbishment over new build.

Temple are leaders in the field of built and natural environments and creating sustainable futures. By forming inclusive alliances with their clients, associates, other environment, planning and sustainability experts, they make a meaningful environmental and social difference together and offer an authentic, unrivalled service. 

Quiet Mark is one of several 3rd Party Certification filters that Specifiers can now use when making product decisions on our partner’s platform, NBS Source. By selecting Quiet Mark and various sustainability certification filters, when sourcing products, we’re helping to make it easier for developers to create healthier buildings which enhance occupant's wellbeing, whilst also being kind to the planet. 

Episode 41: And The Winner Is... The Sound of the Year Awards 2021

After a successful inaugural year, The Sound of the Year Awards returned in 2021/22. A celebration of everyday sound in all its forms, the awards are presented by The Museum of Sound in partnership with The New BBC Radiophonic Workshop and others. 

The awards aim to highlight the rapidly-growing international community of sound professionals and enthusiasts as the value of good sound, listening, and healthy sonic environments are becoming recognised as a vital part of our lives. 

Quiet Mark was delighted this year when our CEO & CoFounder, Poppy Szkiler was invited to join the esteemed panel of judges. Quiet Mark was also the official partner of a brand new category for 2021, 'Best Sound Innovation in Everyday Life': Recognising a new technology, appliance or technique made public in the last year that has improved the sound of something experienced in everyday life.

On this episode, we speak with Manchester based Sound Artist, Hayley Suviste, Lead Producer of The Sound of The Year Awards, to find out more about this year's awards. Our host, Simon Gosling, also enjoys a global conversation with the category winner, Justin Wiggan in Cornwall UK, and Runners Up, Fanis Maragkos in Athens, Greece and Yui Onodera in Tokyo, Japan, to find out more about their fascinating, innovative and timely entries and the stories behind them. 

Learn more about their work here: https://www.soundoftheyearawards.com/2021

Episode 40: Quiet in the Kitchen with Magimix and Cake-Boy

Welcome to the 40th Episode of The Quiet Mark Podcast. The Big 40! Such a milestone is worthy of a celebration cake! So, who finer to invite to guest on this special episode than Steve Punter, Managing Director at Magimix UK, and the 'King of Cakes' himself, Eric Lanlard, Master Patissier & Owner of Cake-Boy, the relaxed yet glamorous lounge–café near the river Thames in Battersea?!

With a successful career in consumer appliance and technology markets, and working with brands that include Gibson Innovations, Philips and Henkel, Steve joined Magimix UK as MD in 2016, where he is responsible for overseeing the UK management, brand development and product roadmap. 

In an interview with ERT Magazine, Steve described Magimix as, "The Rolex of Food Processors". Certainly Quiet Mark would agree and is proud to have certified a range of their food processors, blenders and the Magimix Juice Expert 3.

Someone else who, from personal experience, agrees with Steve's statement is our other special guest, Eric Lanlard, who has certainly made his mark in the UK both as a master French Pâtissier and a much loved celebrity chef. His career so far reads like a pastry chef fairytale having previously worked for the French Navy and for the Roux brothers and created masterpiece celebration cakes for the likes of The Beckhams and The Queen! 

Eric has changed the face of British Patisserie and has been rightfully twice crowned the winner of the prestigious ‘Continental Pâtissier of the Year’ at the British Baking Awards. With his renowned Cake Boy boutique, his popular tv shows, four published books and working as brand ambassador for baking mad it’s a wonder he has anytime away from the oven!

Thankfully though, both Steve and Eric have kindly taken time to enjoy a conversation with our host, Simon Gosling,  on our 40th episode, where we take a deeper dive into the work that they do, how it helps to have quieter appliances in the kitchen... (laboratory, sorry Eric!), and the role that sound plays in the art of a Master Patissier.

Episode 39: Quiet Deliveries - NAS (UK) Silent Approach™️ Programme

The Noise Abatement Society (NAS) conceived Silent Approach™, a collaborative holistic scheme to enable swift, efficient deliveries without causing noise disturbances to residents in order to reduce congestion and help improve air quality and safety in our towns and cities.

In this episode of The Quiet Mark Podcast, we discuss Silent Approach™ with NAS MD, Lisa Lavia and also hear from some of the companies who partnered in the scheme, and whose Quiet Mark certified products helped make it a great success; proving that it is possible to make quiet deliveries, anywhere, at any time of day. 

Those guests include:

Christopher Hanson-Abbott - Chairman at Brigade Electronics Group Plc
Emily Hardy  - UK Marketing Manager at Brigade Electronics UK LTD
Jann Hansen - Vice President, Sales & Product Management, MOFFETT, PRINCETON Truck Mounted Forklifts, HIAB
Carl Fordham - Managing Director at Rolltek International Ltd

Silent Approach™ was used as the basis for trials across the UK by the Department for Transport in a consortium with the NAS and the Freight Transport Association called the Quiet Delivery Demonstration Scheme which has informed Transport for London’s ‘anytime delivery’ programme. 

NAS was at the heart of this work carried out in London, the results of which are viewed by cities all over the world as examples of successful sustainable logistics.

Episode 38: Empowering the Building Industry to Write Healthier Specifications

Our guest on this episode, Ramune Bartuskaite, is a WELL Accredited Professional,Healthy Building Advocate and an architect at FIFTEEN Architecture + Design in Philadelphia—a practice driven by the desire to affect positive change. She's also the Founder and CEO of Spec Matters, whose opening line on their website says: 'Empowering the building industry to write healthier specifications and make better material selections—because these decisions matter'.

We couldn’t agree more! Last December, Quiet Mark announced a brand new partnership with NBS, a leading construction data and specification platform, to empower architects and interior designers to specify ‘acoustics first’, by providing a short-cut for responsible product sourcing. The aim of the partnership being to elevate the aural design of buildings, optimising the overall level of acoustic comfort for occupants.

Throughout her career, Ramune has worked closely with material manufacturers to stay on top of trends and the latest products in the industry.  While pursuing her license, she learned about the challenges and health concerns of the building industry.  After losing her mother to cancer in 2020 and learning about the carcinogens that are often used in building materials, she created Spec Matters in hopes of spurring change and raising awareness in the movement towards healthier buildings and environments.

“Architects, interior designers, and developers are making material selections every day without knowing the impact on human health and the environment”, says Ramune. Spec Matters is a free website and newsletter solving this problem by providing a hub of accessible healthy building information. 

Ramune is a Lithuanian immigrant and a first-generation graduate. She holds a Masters of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture with a Marketing Minor from Miami University, and a Certificate in Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building from Parsons School of Design. She’s a recipient of the Alpha Rho Chi Medal for leadership, willing service, and promise of professional merit and a co-editor of a book titled Women [Re]Build: Stories, Polemics, Futures. The book highlights female architects, designers, scholars, and educators who are pushing the boundaries of architecture and design.

Episode 37: The Quiet Mark & NBS Partnership - Prioritising Wellbeing in Buildings

In December 2021, Quiet Mark announced an industry-milestone partnership with NBS, a leading construction data and specification platform to empower architects to specify ‘acoustics first’, by providing a short-cut for specifiers to source responsible products. The aim being to elevate wellness through architectural acoustics; optimising the overall level of acoustic comfort for occupants.

The 3,600+ practises that use NBS to make 13.6M specification decisions per month can now filter for Quiet Mark certified products and materials, using the left hand navigation menu. This includes products such as Dyson hand dryers and Mira electric showers, or building materials including WoodUpp’s Akupanel Decorative Wood Acoustic Panels and ROCKWOOL’s Thermal and Sound Insulation Range.

For architects, engineers, designers and contractors NBS provides a cloud-based specification system that enables them to work smarter and reduce their risk. For building product manufacturers, NBS helps grow their business by exposing their products across the construction project timeline.  In this episode, our CMO & Host, Simon Gosling, enjoys a conversation with 3 expert guests, each one representing a different part of that process. Together they explore the role of specification, the ways that they use the NBS platform, and what the new Quiet Mark x NBS partnership means for them, and the industry as a whole. 

Stephen Hamil is Innovation Director at NBS - Stephen first started working on NBS products in 1999 and has played a big part in the development of platforms such as NBS Chorus and NBS Source. He was the project lead for parts of the UK Government’s BIM Task Group 'Level 2 programme'. Prior to joining NBS, Stephen studied at Durham University. His first degree was in Structural Engineering followed by a PhD in the digital modelling of building structures.

Richard Grove is Director | Europe at Inhabit - After 8 1/2 years leading the acoustics team out of BDP's London Studio, Richard recently started an exciting new role as Director | Europe at Inhabit. Part of Egis Group, Inhabit is a design-led, multi-disciplinary team of experienced architects, designers, engineers and contractors who are passionate about making a positive contribution to our built environment.

Gregg Wright is Director at WoodUpp, manufacturer of Quiet Mark certified Akupanel Decorative Wood Acoustic Panels, bringing the beauty and calming essence of nature to homes or workplaces. They oversee each area of production, from selecting the standing trees, right through to the distribution of the end product ensuring only the highest quality products are made for their clients.