Episode 5: MEANINGFUL SOUND MEASUREMENT IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT - Adrian Passmore - ARUP

How adept are we when it comes to describing sound?

In Episode 4 of The Quiet Mark Podcast, which focused on Acoustics in Education, Shane Cryer from Ecophon explained that when people walk into a classroom that his company has treated acoustically, they seldom comment that it sounds good and are more likely to say that it feels right. And as previous guests, Biophilic Designer, Oliver Heath in Ep. 3 and Ethan Bourdeau from WELL Building Institute in Ep. 2  have all said - when a place feels right, through well designed acoustics, absenteeism decreases, performance and productivity increases, result and grades improve and wellbeing is optimised. So when we approach describing how we want our future buildings to sound, or how we want them to make us feel, the correct use of language is highly important.

That’s where Episode 5’s guest comes in. Adrian Passmore is an Acoustician and Associate Director with ARUP. He demystifies the language of sound and acoustics and tells of the latest advancements in technology and virtual reality, which enable stakeholders to experience what a future building project both looks and sounds like before building begins.

Adrian was one of the masterclass speakers at Quiet Mark’s Acoustics Academy launch last February, a video of which can be seen on our Youtube channel, QuietMark TV. This recording was made immediately as we stepped off stage at the February event and we would like to give a quick thank you to our Quiet Mark awarded partners, AllsFar who kindly provided biophilic acoustic murals, which provided excellent, much needed sound proofing and dampening at The Business Design, and they also provided very comfortable acoustic furniture which is perfect for podcast recording and available though our Acoustics Academy platform of verified acoustic products for every building project, at QuietMark.com

Arup is an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, architects, consultants and technical specialists, working across every aspect of today’s built environment. Headquartered in London, they currently employ over 15K people globally working on projects in over 140 countries.

Arup was born of their founder, Sir Ove Arup’s conviction that a more collaborative and open-minded approach to engineering would lead to work of greater quality and enduring relevance. His legacy is an organisation that continues to be recognised for bravely imaginative solutions to the world’s most challenging projects.

For more than 20 years Adrian has been delivering holistic acoustic building designs. After graduating from the Salford University Electroacoustics degree in 1992, Adrian was employed with an underwater acoustics research company for five years, working primarily for military and petrochemical industries.

In 1997 he began his career in commercial acoustic consultancy, working for Sound Research Laboratories Ltd in London where he gained wide experience in building acoustics, before joining Spectrum Acoustics Limited to assist in setting-up their London office.

He joined Arup Acoustics in 2002 and currently leads their UKIMEA Property business interests, with principal focus on developments containing residential, commercial, hotels and leisure buildings. Adrian also leads the Acoustics’ 28 staff London team. Adrian has led the acoustic design on nationally significant infrastructure projects and major developments, such as: HS2 London Euston and Birmingham Stations; BBC Television Centre, London; Paradise Circus Redevelopment, Birmingham; Earls Court Development, London; Chelsea Barracks, London.