Quieter Homes
The residents of more than 135 dwellings within Wellington Airport’s Air Noise Boundary – some as close as 90 metres to the runway – are now enjoying a quieter home environment thanks to a certified acoustic upgrade to their homes’ living and sleeping spaces.
Since 2016, Wellington Airport’s Quieter Homes programme has delivered mitigation packages to eligible homes surrounding the airport. For each, we calculate and prescribe construction modifications to reduce aircraft noise levels experienced inside to 45 dB Ldn or less. As an added benefit, these upgrades can often enhance build and finish quality. Working in partnership with Wellington Airport, our Quieter Homes work continues to offer subsidised acoustic treatment.
CLIENT
Wellington International Airport Ltd
LOCATION
Wellington, New Zealand - Rongotai and Miramar suburbs
COMPLETED
2016 - ongoing
Our scope
Our role within the Quieter Homes programme is to review and assess each property’s situation, calculate and provide cost-effective treatment prescriptions, and ensure delivery is to specification. MDA’s acoustic design for each dwelling is unique according to existing constructions and orientation, using a suite of adaptable in-house tools. Over time, we’ve worked with an increasing range of housing typologies, sizes, and eras, from 1910s to contemporary. We’re part of a wider team including architects, local builders, and airport project managers.
Challenges
In developing and testing our original models, calculation tools, and treatments, one challenge has been to adapt and re-test these as the project evolves, to maintain consistent quality within budget – no two houses in this project are alike. Another challenge has been in keeping a stable team approach across the project’s ten-year-plus lifespan, while ensuring newer project staff can continue to use our accumulated and evolving knowledge in an effective way.
PROJECT TEAM
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