The Quiet Mark Podcast

Episode 7/ Pt2: IMPROVING ACOUSTICS FOR A NEW NORMAL - Nigel Sill - Enfield Speciality Doors

In Episode 7, Pt.2 of The Quiet Mark Podcast, introducing our audio resource book for architects, Simon Gosling talks with Nigel Sill - Chairman - Enfield Speciality Doors  whose Quiet Mark certified products enable architects to improve the acoustics and sound design of buildings, without compromising on the visual aesthetic.

Enfield Doors was established in 1936, producing doors for the local building trade. Nigel joined the company in 1965 and in 1983 Enfield began manufacturing fire doors. Acoustic, security, and X-ray doors followed and now the company specialises in bespoke, flush timber-framed doors for a variety of applications.

Nigel is a resident along the Heathrow flight path and is a staunch supporter of campaigns to highlight the health hazards of excessive noise. He understands the importance of the Quiet Mark scheme and is pleased to have Quiet Mark approval across Enfield’s entire range of acoustic door sets.

The long-standing team has unparalleled expertise and knowledge and after Grenfell, Nigel called the Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) to talk to them about fire doors, which resulted in a visit to the factory. MHCLG then asked some key fire door suppliers to help them. Enfield provided technical advice, and design and fire protection expertise. Enfield provided MHCLG with sample fire doors and were the first to be successfully tested to the amended standard. Enfield’s doors passed the test with a large margin: ‘opening in’ exceeded the time by 19% and ‘opening out’ by an exceptional 70% (51 minutes).

Nigel is passionate about quality and customer service and Enfield has achieved the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management and ISO 9001 for quality management.

Enfield Speciality Doors is listed within Quiet Mark's Acoustic Academy: a brand new, free to use online platform, designed to further equip and empower architects, builders and designers with a guide to expertly verified leading acoustic solutions for every building application area, including; approved specialist acoustic glazing, sound barriers, panels, pumps, acoustic doors, flooring, insulation, commercial ventilation, acoustic plasters and surfaces and much more. 

Example building application areas include, residential, commercial, industrial, schools, offices, healthcare, hospitals, restaurants and public spaces.

Poppy Szkiler, Founder and CEO, Quiet Mark says: “Acoustics Academy is our new online platform developed to serve the Building sector by further equipping and empowering industry to easily find the latest expert-approved acoustic materials, products and solutions organised in a one-stop online hub for the right building applications and scenarios.
“Building design is now evolving to prioritise responsible sound-design transforming living spaces into harmonious soundscapes that deliver excellent acoustics to support health, well-being and desire for quieter living. A property that has been carefully designed acoustically creates a beautiful, calm, supportive environment, reducing unnecessary stress for all inhabitants for generations to come.”

Episode 7/ Pt1: IMPROVING ACOUSTICS FOR A NEW NORMAL - Martin Rawlins - BASWA acoustic

In Episode 7, Pt.1 of The Quiet Mark Podcast, introducing our audio resource book for architects, Simon Gosling talks with Martin Rawlins - Head of UK & Australia Sales at BASWA acoustic whose Quiet Mark certified products enable architects to improve the acoustics and sound design of buildings, without compromising on the visual aesthetic.

BASWA acoustic AG is a young and dynamic company with an international profile. Hans “Jeannot” Sulzer, who was sixty at the time, established it in 1991. From the start, the company pursued the goal of manufacturing and distributing innovative acoustics products. As a tireless and ambitious entrepreneur and pioneer with a high affinity for technology, Hans Sulzer invented and developed the BASWA acoustics system. He knew from the beginning that as an enterprise, BASWA would take an unconventional path to success and would find innovative new solutions for familiar problems.

Martin is head of UK sales for BASWA acoustic. Martin has a deep interest in sound and was previously a music producer and recording engineer, spending seven years in China recording everything from punk and indie bands to traditional Guzheng, and a Grammy winning singer songwriter.

With BASWA, Martin now spends his time working with architects to enhance the user experience by improving interior acoustics, and has worked on projects including the new United States London Embassy, the Lanesborough Hotel and the V&A.

BASWA acoustic's system is listed within Quiet Mark's Acoustic Academy: a brand new, free to use online platform, designed to further equip and empower architects, builders and designers with a guide to expertly verified leading acoustic solutions for every building application area, including; approved specialist acoustic glazing, sound barriers, panels, pumps, acoustic doors, flooring, insulation, commercial ventilation, acoustic plasters and surfaces and much more. 

Example building application areas include, residential, commercial, industrial, schools, offices, healthcare, hospitals, restaurants and public spaces.

Poppy Szkiler, Founder and CEO, Quiet Mark says: “Acoustics Academy is our new online platform developed to serve the Building sector by further equipping and empowering industry to easily find the latest expert-approved acoustic materials, products and solutions organised in a one-stop online hub for the right building applications and scenarios.
“Building design is now evolving to prioritise responsible sound-design transforming living spaces into harmonious soundscapes that deliver excellent acoustics to support health, well-being and desire for quieter living. A property that has been carefully designed acoustically creates a beautiful, calm, supportive environment, reducing unnecessary stress for all inhabitants for generations to come.”

Episode 7: IMPROVING ACOUSTICS FOR A NEW NORMAL - Martin Rawlins - BASWA acoustic, Nigel Sill - Enfield Speciality Doors & Oliver Brookes - BB&C Architects

In Episode 7 of The Quiet Mark Podcast, introducing our audio resource book for architects, Simon Gosling talks with Martin Rawlins -Head of UK & Australia sales at BASWA acoustic and Nigel Sill - Chairman of Enfield Speciality Doors, two companies whose Quiet Mark certified products enable architects to improve the acoustics and sound design of buildings, without compromising on the visual aesthetic.

Simon also enjoys a conversation with Oliver Brookes, an Architect with Cambridge based BB&C Architects, who turned to another such company's Quiet Mark certified product, Armourcoat's acoustic plaster system, for a much needed solution when creating a music listening room within THIS beautiful domestic home.

BASWA acoustic, Enfield Speciality Doors and Armourcoat are just three of the many brands whose expert-approved acoustic materials, products and solutions are listed within Quiet Mark's Acoustic Academy: a brand new, free to use online platform, designed to further equip and empower architects, builders and designers with a guide to expertly verified leading acoustic solutions for every building application area, including; approved specialist acoustic glazing, sound barriers, panels, pumps, acoustic doors, flooring, insulation, commercial ventilation, acoustic plasters and surfaces and much more. 

Example building application areas include, residential, commercial, industrial, schools, offices, healthcare, hospitals, restaurants and public spaces.

Poppy Szkiler, Founder and CEO, Quiet Mark says: “Acoustics Academy is our new online platform developed to serve the Building sector by further equipping and empowering industry to easily find the latest expert-approved acoustic materials, products and solutions organised in a one-stop online hub for the right building applications and scenarios.
“Building design is now evolving to prioritise responsible sound-design transforming living spaces into harmonious soundscapes that deliver excellent acoustics to support health, well-being and desire for quieter living. A property that has been carefully designed acoustically creates a beautiful, calm, supportive environment, reducing unnecessary stress for all inhabitants for generations to come.”

Episode 6: THE PSYCHOACOUSTICS OF SOUNDSCAPES - Wade Bray - HEAD acoustics, Inc.

With the UK's hospitality industry opening its doors again, after over 100 days of lockdown, show host, Simon Gosling asks, "Have you ever been to a restaurant with a friend and found yourself having to talk loudly, just to be heard above the music, the kitchen noise and the other diners? Your friend then feels the need to talk even louder to be heard by you and before you know it, you’re both having to shout at one another, just to enjoy a friendly conversation!"

This is known as the Lombard Effect and studies have shown that whilst higher decibels in a restaurant might make someone eat more food during their visit, it may nevertheless put them off returning, making it a false economy.

Our guest on Episode 6, Wade Bray - Vice President or HEAD acoustics, Inc., imparts a lifetime of study and experience, not only with the acoustics of restaurants, but also with many other spheres including consumer technology, architecture, automotive, concert halls and more.

HEAD acoustics, Inc. is one of the world’s leading companies for integrated acoustics solutions as well as sound and vibration analysis. They offer a broad portfolio of products and services covering almost any application in the areas of sound design for technical products and the enhancement of speech and audio quality in the telecommunications industry. The company benefits from the combination of cutting-edge measurement technology with many years of practical experience in these industries.

When it comes to taste, Marmite’s advertising famously tells us that you either love it, or hate it. But is the same true of sound? Or do we all agree that a sound is either good or bad? In this episode Wade shares how they measure psychoacoustic metrics and the ways that humans respond to a variety of sounds. This includes interviewing individuals for their personal reactions, so that this information can then be applied to the sound design of products, to enhance the user’s perception.

We hope this episode sound good to you!

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.

Episode 4: ACOUSTICS IN EDUCATION - Shane Cryer - Ecophon

As schools reopen their doors, after 10 weeks of lockdown, it seems fitting that this episode should focus on Acoustics in Education.

Our Guest Shane Cryer, Concept Developer – Education, manages the education sector in the UK and Ireland for Swedish acoustic experts, Saint-Gobain Ecophon. Having recently completed the The Institute of Acoustics (IOA) diploma is now an Associate Member of the IOA. Working closely with The Institute of Acoustics (IOA) and the RIBA, Shane has been promoting BB93: Acoustic Design of Schools standard via CPD seminars,
conferences and articles in the trade press.

Following his Masterclass presentation at our Acoustics Academy launch event; last February, Shane explains to our host, Simon Gosling, how good acoustics in schools can reduce absenteeism, improve exam results and increase wellbeing for students and teachers.

He also shares the story of Sara, a profoundly deaf Year 12 Student with cochlea implants, whose learning experience at Sweyne Park School was totally transformed after Ecophon’s work in her school led to a 10 dB increase in the difference between the teacher’s voice and the background noise. So not only did the room become quieter, it also became much easier for the pupils to hear what the teacher was saying; Sara’s grades improving as a result, with a future at University pending.

Saint-Gobain Ecophon are one of the many Quiet Mark awarded, world leading manufactures of acoustic products that feature within our new AcousticsAcademy.com - a free to use online platform to further equip and empower architects, builders and designers with a guide to expertly verified leading acoustic solutions for every building application area.

Episode 3: BIOPHILIC ACOUSTICS - Oliver Heath - Oliver Heath Design

In Episode 3 of The Quiet Mark Podcast, Biophilic Designer & BBC DIYSOS team-member, Oliver Heath chats with Simon Gosling about Biophilic Acoustics - what nature can teach us about sound design & how a connection with nature can improve wellbeing.

They recorded 2 conversations for this episode. The first at Oliver's Brighton studio, just before lockdown, soon after he had delivered a Masterclass at the launch of our AcousticsAcademy.com - a new online platform to further equip and empower architects, builders and designers with a guide to expertly verified leading acoustic solutions for every building application area.

The second was in early May, wk. 5 of lockdown, via video-call, in which Oliver shares useful Biophilic WFH tips, on how to bring nature into our homes and improve productivity.

Oliver mentions the benefits of taking Photon Showers and the pleasures of Shinrin-Yoku, the Japanese art of Forest Bathing. Coincidentally, Shinrin Yoku is a practise featured in the critical-hit feature film documentary, In Pursuit of Silence, Exec Produced by Quiet Mark CEO Poppy Szkiler. Quiet Mark co-produced, then funded & delivered the UK & German markets cinema release distribution & promotion of this film by director Patrick Shen.

Episode 2: HOME & BUILDING STANDARDS SPECIAL - Carolyn Forte - Good Housekeeping Institute & Ethan Bourdeau - IWBI The International WELL Building Institute

In Episode 2 of The Quiet Mark Podcast, Simon Gosling, CSO, enjoys conversations during Lockdown, via Video-Call from NEW YORK, with Carolyn Forte - Director/Home Appliances and Cleaning Products Lab at GOOD HOUSEKEEPING INSTITUTE, Good Housekeeping Magazine, and Ethan Bourdeau - Concept Lead/ Senior Associate at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).

Like the Quiet Mark Award, The Good Housekeeping Seal and The WELL Certification are standards from trusted third party expert organisations. They each demystify the science, simplifying it for the public or defining it for industry, so that when one sees their mark, seal or certification they know instantly that the item that has received it, be it an appliance or a building, has been verified, thoroughly approved and commended by the longstanding experts.

Carolyn and Ethan discuss how sound and acoustics play a pivotal role in the assessment process of their standards especially now in the world-changing around us, explaining how good sound design can not only enhance performance but is also powerful to fortify well-being, productivity and one's overall mental and physical health. 

Episode 1: LIGHT & SOUND + BUILDING THE EXCEL HOSPITAL - Colin Ball & Richard Grove - BDP (Building Design Partnership)

Welcome to the first episode of the Quiet Mark’s Acoustic Academy Podcast series.

Quiet Mark is the third generation global award programme associated with the UK Noise Abatement Society charitable foundation, with a unique longstanding remit to raise awareness of and finding solutions to noise pollution.

Our core service is specialism in technical assessments of the acoustic design of products, where we award the Quiet Mark to the quietest products, the best solutions to unwanted noise. We’re the first multi-national 'buy quiet' and ‘design-quiet’ movement organisation, a consumer champion, passionate acoustic experts focused on protecting public health and well-being.

Through our first series, to explore this, we’ve gathered and interviewed some of the leading architects and sound experts in the world, sharing exclusive intimate insights into some of their projects.

If you look at QuietMark.com you'll find over 350 awarded products from over 70 household name brands including wide ranges of consumer technology for every living space, including for the commercial sector, awarded building materials and technologies too, which have achieved the award meeting the lowest noise acoustic standards. 

The Quiet Mark is the distinctive purple Q logo found on awarded products across UK’s retailers like Argos Sainsburys, Currys Dixons and John Lewis & Partners. As a consumer, whenever you see the Quiet Mark, you know you are purchasing one of the quietest in its category.

Just before the lockdown, Quiet Mark launched our Acoustics Academy, the pioneering online platform service to help better understand and access specialist products so they become more widely used in the right applications to further enable creation of healthy living spaces.

It’s our great pleasure to introduce our first guests: Richard Grove, Group Acoustic Director at BDP and Colin Ball Lighting Director at BDP, Building Design Partnership.

Whilst we originally recorded our conversation at the Acoustics Academy launch event in February, soon after the Corona virus changed life as we knew it, lockdown meant that we started working from home. So yesterday, (April 8th April), we remotely recorded an extra section talking through insights into the building of the Nightingale Hospital and Richard’s unfortunate experience, battling with Coronavirus symptom. 

Colin is a leading designer of international excellence and repute. He leads the award winning London lighting studio. Educated in architecture, Colin has subsequently worked as a lighting designer for 21 years, with 10 years experience at Speirs + Major and 6 years at Isometrix Lighting + Design prior to joining BDP in 2011.

Richard is Acoustics Director and leads the Acoustics team in BDP’s Environmental Design Studio in London and has led the development of the recently launched Acoustics Technician Apprenticeship. He has worked in the field of acoustics since 2005, analysing and advising on acoustics and vibration designs in multi-discipline projects for a wide variety of sectors.