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

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.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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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. 

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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

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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.

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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.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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.

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In this episode Trend-Monitor Founder & Research Director, Jane Blakeborough shares with our Hist, Simon Gosling, some of the Top 10 priorities consumers now have for their homes, as highlighted in their Post-COVID Trend Map for the UK Home Improvement Sector. 

Trend-Monitor is a leading insight resource for the UK home improvement industry, providing targeted consumer and market insights and trend analysis for major brands, multiple retailers, trade associations and the trade press for over 16 years. 

Alongside 'Easily Sustainable Homes', and 'Clean Air at Home', the Top 10 priorities also includes 'Quiet Homes', saying:

Noise is very much an invisible pollutant as many layers of sound can build up over time.  Whereas previously we may have been able to ignore these layers of sound, working from home, and in particular when on Zoom or in virtual meetings, has made us extra sensitive to the amount of noise we have going on around us in our homes.

Spending more time at home during lockdown has emphasised the detrimental effect of being constantly surrounded by noise from domestic appliances, technology and poor acoustics. This in turn is impacting on our mental health and energy levels.

Quiet Mark, the international consumer champion award programme associated with the UK Noise Abatement Society charity, is seeing an increased interest in products that ensure that acoustic design is as important as visual design.

You can download the Trend Monitor report, in full, here: https://trend-monitor.co.uk/

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In this episode we enjoy the company of 2 guests who lobby for change that will create healthier homes and more sustainable construction and design practises.

Daniel Slade joined the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) in January 2020 to work as a Policy and Projects Manager. The TCPA's vision is for homes, places and communities in which everyone can thrive. Their mission is to challenge, inspire and support people to create healthy, sustainable and resilient places that are fair for everyone.

Cat Hoad is Director & Founder at Absolute Project Management who are a Founding Signatory of Interior Design Declares, for whom Cat is a Steering Committee member. Interior Design Declares is part of Construction Declares, a global petition movement uniting all strands of construction and the built environment. It is both a public declaration of our planet’s environmental crises and a commitment to take positive action in response to climate breakdown and biodiversity collapse.

At the end of last year, as part of our ongoing mission to increase occupant wellbeing through noise reduction and improved acoustics, Quiet Mark announced a new partnership with NBS, a leading construction data and specification platform, to empower architects to specify ‘acoustics first’, by providing a shortcut for specifiers to source responsible products.

Listen to Cat and Daniel, as they share, with our host Simon Gosling, more about their work and missions.

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On December 1st, Jouko took time out of his hectic Slush schedule to talk to The Quiet Mark Podcast, from Vetrospace's latest product, their StreamSpace.  Helsinki's Slush has grown into the largest single gathering of venture capital in the world – 1,700 investors ranging from VCs to angels, CVCs, and LPs, all looking for the next big thing. Vetrospace supplied this year's Slush event with almost thirty indoor air purification meeting rooms. Would their StreamSpace booth be enough keep out the noise of the 8,000 Slush attendees and enable our Host, Simon Gosling, to record their conversation in peace and quiet? Listen to discover more!

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

 There are few people as knowledgeable or well-versed in the art of specification, choosing the best acoustic products to suit every building type, as our guest, Jeffrey Fullerton, Acoustics Department Manager - Building Science Solutions at Intertek. 

Intertek is an industry leader with more than 43,800 employees in 1,000 locations in over 100 countries. They are a Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Through their global network of state-of-the-art facilities and industry-leading technical expertise they provide innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification services to their customers. In fact, in addition to testing products in its own labs, Quiet Mark often partners with Intertek for additional testing, harnessing their global network to assess many of our international partner brands' products.

Jeff has 20 years of experience providing acoustical consulting guidance to clients on local, regional, national and global projects. His past projects include mixed use facilities, entertainment venues, corporate and commercial buildings, single and multi-family residences, higher education buildings, government buildings, healthcare facilities, transportation terminals, and industrial plants.

Jeff shares his experience as an acoustician working alongside architects and interior designs, to help realise their visual designs, whilst optimising the acoustic comfort of the space. He makes our CMO and Host, Simon Gosling, chuckle when he talks about the challenges this can present, citing a book titled 'Deaf Architects & Blind Acousticians? A Guide to the Principles of Sound Design', by Robert E. Apfel!

 If you're interested to learn more about how skilled aural design and the specification of acoustic products can enhance the wellbeing of a building's occupants, then look no further!

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

Our host, Simon Gosling, recorded this conversation in early November ‘21, soon after bumping into Vicki at The Workspace Design Show in London’s Business Design Centre. Both were amazed at just how much emphasis there was on acoustic design in the furniture, lighting, screens, panels, pods and booths being exhibited at the event. 

Clearly, the pandemic, work from home, hybrid-working, and the growing trend for well-being focused design in workspace, has caused designers to think, not just visually, but also acoustically, blending attractive designs with products that improve the soundscape of the workplace; be that in our homes or our offices. 

Vicki mentions a Google Popularity Score search that she did for the term, 'Noisy Neighbours’, which scored 20 pre-pandemic, rising to 100 in April and May last year, when lockdowns began. With people spending more time working, teaching and resting at home, came the realisation of just how loud our homes actually were. 

But, as Vicki explains, before Muffle was formed 3 years ago, if you were a residential or small business customer, wanting to buy a couple of panels, screens or other decorative acoustic products, most manufacturers run B2B rather than B2C operations and there really wasn’t anywhere that you could go to buy them. 

Muffle changed that, making it easy for everyone to buy acoustic products, online via their website, which now offers hundreds of products by over 20 brands, several of whom, such as BuzziSpace, Ecophon and Echo Barrier, are Quiet Mark certified and listed in our Acoustics Academy platform of verified building products for every building application area. 

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

So many previous guests on The Quiet Mark Podcast played instruments in bands before embarking on sound and acoustic related careers; varying from the sound design of household products for global brands, to the acoustic design of some of the world’s most iconic buildings.

In July 2021, Ofsted published its latest research review looking at music education in schools. It can be found on Gov.uk under the headline: Simply ‘doing’ music is not enough. It points out that the number of pupils taking up music at key stages 4 and 5 continues to decline. Key stage 3 music provision has also been reduced and trainee primary teachers are offered shrinking amounts of musical training. And with reduced lesson time, this has been accompanied by lower levels of staffing to support a school’s rich musical life.

Therefore, it is more important than ever for schools to find ways that put high-quality music at the core of the curriculum.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman said:

Music touches the heart of our humanity and its sense of wonder has influenced human societies throughout history. For many pupils, the music they love will be part of the narrative of their lives.

Music is part of the curriculum but simply ‘doing’ music is not enough. We shouldn’t be satisfied with just having music on the timetable. We need to be ambitious about what we expect for music in the classroom and make sure that time is well used.

Dan and The School of Noise are on hand to help. Discover more... 

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

Established in 1988 Hawkins\Brown is now the 7th largest UK practice, working in a wide range of sectors including residential, infrastructure, education, workplace and civic, community and culture [CCC]. Adam leads the CCC sector which is involved in a number of projects including community and Higher Education libraries as well as a number of Town Hall projects providing new workplace environments for local authorities.

Hawkins\Brown employs a global team of 300, working in offices of around 20 people in centres including London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Los Angeles. Adam talks of some of the in-house testing and experimentation that has taken place within their own studios, which has shown that, with the growth of hybrid working environments, desk to person ratios can be reduced from 6 desks per 10 people, to as low as 3 to 10. 

Treated correctly, less desks can equal improved acoustic comfort, more biophilic planting, collaborative spaces, and break out zones for one to one Zoom calls; all improving the wellbeing of the occupants. 

Adam shares his experiences working on:

• The new University of Bristol Library - a world class facility for all, to support and enhance the services offered by the University’s broader library and study centres network. It will strengthen the University’s ability to provide high quality study spaces, programmes and events, and services to reach out to an increasing number of new students, researchers and academics.
• The Grade II listed Waltham Forest Town Hall and Assembly Hall, along with the surrounding landscape, which recently, have sensitively been transformed into a place where council staff, local business and residents come together. 

Adam states that only a few years ago, the specification of sustainable materials and solutions and the consideration of accessibility and inclusivity in design were ‘nice to have bolt-ons’, which have now become absolute must-haves. With show host Simon Gosling, he explores the need and hope that the specification of acoustic products, to enable well-being design, will also become par of the course. 

In the meantime, they can easily be sourced in Quiet Mark’s Acoustics Academy - a free to use online platform further equipping and empowering architects, builders and designers with a guide to expertly verified leading acoustic solutions for every building application area. 

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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In this SUSTAINABLE SEPTEMBER episode of The Quiet Mark Podcast, our host, Simon Gosling, speaks with 6 manufactures whose Quiet Mark certified products are listed on our AcousticsAcademy.com directory of expertly verified solutions for every building project to support the new era of responsible design.

Sustainability focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The concept of sustainability is composed of three pillars: economic, environmental, and social—also known informally as profits, planet, and people. Increasingly, companies are making public commitments to sustainability through actions like reducing waste, investing in renewable energy, and supporting organisations that work toward a more sustainable future.

Working our way up, starting with floors by Karndean Designflooring, through to walls by WoodUpp, insulation by ROCKWOOL, acoustic artworks and furniture by BuzziSpace with Cory Grosser + Associates, murals and furniture by AllSfär, all the way up to ceilings by Armourcoat Acoustic®, Simon asks each manufacturer how they produce their products sustainably, and what it means to their businesses.

Your company might be considering corporate sustainability initiatives but wondering just how hard it is to implement meaningful change in your organisation. It can be helpful to have examples of corporate sustainability initiatives to look to for inspiration, and this is precisely what our first guests on this show, Products of Change provides. 

Tune in to discover more!

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

Noise is one of the most commonly-found contaminants in the construction sector. Construction sites produce extensive amounts of noise pollution, the effects of which are experienced immediately.

The negative effects are not restricted to the construction site, with noise pollution creating a problem for surrounding areas. Local residents often report varying levels of stress, sleep disturbance and high blood pressure. Noise pollution can also disturb the natural cycles of animals and reduce the size of their habitat.

In addition to a mechanical engineering degree and an MSc in Acoustics and Vibration, Peter Wilson has spent over 35 years honing his practical skills in the field of noise and vibration engineering - initially in the automotive industry (solving problems on both products and for customers). He has acquired a considerable reputation for developing innovative noise control techniques across a very wide range of applications and industries. This includes the design of the award-winning Echo Barriers, innovative, award-winning fan noise control technology and novel structural vibration dampers.

Peter also developed the Institute of Occupational Health (IOSH - UK) competency training courses in both noise and vibration. To share good vibrations, he also does a bit of stand-up comedy! But noise pollution is no joke, so please do tune in to find out more. 

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One of the categories, Best Field Sound Recordist, was being judged by legendary Soundscape Ecologist, Bernie Krause, and one of the works nominated in that category was the incredible Wolf Soundscapes, by Melissa Pons. 

So, it is with immense pleasure that, in this Episode 26, exploring The Art of Field Recording, we are joined by Bernie and Melissa, to find out more about why they record sounds of nature, what it has taught them, and what we might learn from listening to their works.  

Bernie Krause, often referred to as the Godfather of Field Recording, is a seven-time author with north of 50 years experience. He posited the ‘acoustic niche hypothesis’ that all organisms establish a frequency and bandwidth to ‘vocalise’ themselves in their habitat. That explains why those animalistic elements in the rainforest never seem to clash, but all have their own established space. He’s recorded 5,000 hours and a huge 15,0000 species. First working as a studio musician, Bernie even introduced the MOOG synthesizer to film soundtracks and popular artists like Peter Gabriel, Van Morrison, Brian Eno and David Byrne (to name but a few…)

Melissa Pons is a fellow field recordist whose work is, in her own words ‘slow’. She acclimatises to the cultural context of the situation and environment in which she finds herself. She came from a background of commercial sound design, but has chosen to focus on ‘more meaningful’ projects—allowing a portion of her profits to be ploughed back into the people and places she’s introduced to—via her recordings. These have included recording in tropical forests in Brazil, and also living with and recording packs of wolves.

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We explore the challenges of designing acoustics for public spaces, with our expert guests, Richard King - Sandy Brown and Martin Rawlins - BASWA acoustic. 

Sandy Brown is the largest independent acoustic consultancy in the UK. Since 1969, we have been at the forefront of building acoustics and are recognised experts in the acoustic design of studios, auditoria and performance spaces. Projects include MediaCity UK, BAFTA - 195 Piccadilly, Leeds Playhouse and Apple Store Marina Bay Sands. 

For BASWA, the Swiss pioneers of modern seamless acoustic ceilings, good acoustics are essential to wellbeing - just like natural light. BASWA Phon is the most advanced and most specified acoustic plaster system worldwide, and is one of the many verified acoustic products listed in our AcousticsAcademy.com directory of solutions for architects, acoustic consultancies and the building sector. BASWA projects include, The Sala Beckett theater, Barcelona, The V&A Museum Members Bar, London, The Louvre, Paris and Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg. 

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

To imagine what a more beautiful and functional global soundscape of technology could be like, think about the sound of the rainforest, an immersive sonic environment dense with useful information. It is also beautiful, harmonious, and calm. More than just a soundscape, this is a healthy, sustainable acoustic ecology. We should settle for nothing less in the sounds of technology that shape our products,  our environments, and our daily lives".

The above thoughts are from a paper, written by Matthew, titled - 'Tuning the Sound of Technology - Cutting through the noise to design better digital experiences. If you feel bombarded by your device notifications and wish for a better, less intrusive, less alarming way, then tune-in to this episode to discover more.

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Sheffield is the City of Steel. With its throbbing steelworks in the distance, and grinding metalworking soundscape of the city centre, made by the little mester finishing shops, Simon Gosling asks Martyn, is it any wonder that those early Human League records had such an industrial sound?

Asked why he chose a synth, instead of more traditional rock band instruments, bass, drums or guitar, Martyn says, “ I always loved anything that felt futuristic… I wanted to be the Roxy Music Eno, basically”!

In 2000, Vince Clarke (Yazoo, Depeche Mode and Erasure) and Martyn Ware (The Human League, Heaven 17 and BEF) decided to continue their love of musical creativity, forming Illustrious Ltd. whose modus operandi was to use the spatialisation of sound to enrich the human experience.

In this episode, Martyn shares his adventures in acoustic ecology, with stories taking us from Sheffield to Brighton to Mexico City and Bowie at The V&A. If that’s not enough ‘Temptation’...!

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Our guests on this episode are Paul Gregory - Global Specification & Training Director at Dyson and Nick Dunn, Executive Director of ImaginationLancaster & Professor of Urban Design at Lancaster University, both members of The International Dark-Sky Association.

April 5th to 12th sees The International Dark-Sky Association's 2021 International Dark Sky Week. Every year, the International Dark-Sky Association hosts International Dark Sky Week (IDSW) to raise awareness about light pollution’s many negative effects. 

Our world has become a 24/7 society. We use outdoor lighting, such as street lights and shop windows, to be more active at night and to increase our safety and security. But what impact is this lighting having on our sleep and on nature? 

The stars and the sun have thousands of soundwaves bouncing around inside them at any given moment. Understanding these stellar harmonies represents a revolution in astronomy. By "listening" for stellar sound waves with telescopes, scientists can figure out what stars are made of, how old they are, how big they are and how they contribute to the evolution of our Milky Way galaxy as a whole. 

A wave of silence has spread across the planet as man-made noise fell by 50% during the first worldwide coronavirus lockdowns. Noise pollution was reduced by 50% and suddenly nature, especially birdsong, seemed noticeably louder than ever before. But can the same be said of light pollution? 

Our show host, Simon Gosling, asks Paul and Nick these and other questions about the wonder of stargazing and how a beautiful starry sky can change your life, for the better, forever.

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In fact, it's that healthcare connection that brought us together because Elif was kindly introduced to us by a previous guest on our podcast, Yoko Sen, an ambient musician who's applying talents and skills to transforming the sounds of alarms in hospitals, to make them less stressful, more natural-sounding environments. This is something with which she collaborates with Elif and you'll hear Elif's own experiences of their pioneering partnership in this episode.

As an Associate Professor at the TU Delft Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Elif teaches and does research on `form and experience-driven and `sound-driven' design. Her academic career started at the TU Delft as well, with doing a Ph.D. study on product sounds (`Product sounds: Fundamentals and application'). With this study, she is the first to establish a comprehensive theory about product sounds based on empirical evidence.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

Working from home in many ways reduces the need for such a rigid bedtime and wake up time, in large part because we no longer have a commute to contend with. As nice as this extra time is in the morning, the lack of separation between work and rest times can make it hard to wind down and fall asleep at night when we have been at home all day.

WFH is all very well, but it’s also vitally important to take time to be HFW (Home From Work)!

With nearly 30 years of diverse experience across multiple healthcare and non-profit organizations, John Lopos has longstanding ties to the sleep health community, including his relationship with the NSF for the past 17 years. Most recently, he served for 8 years as an NSF Director, having been active on several task forces and committees including Development, Public Awareness, Compensation, and Finance. He also has been part of the organization’s advocacy on Capitol Hill for the past several years.

National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. Founded in 1990, the NSF is committed to advancing excellence in sleep health theory, research, and practice.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

But can sound, (or rather sound design and soundscapes), really have the power to stop people from fighting, and instead return peacefully to their homes, as the clubs empty on busy Saturday Night?  Well, that's just one of the many NAS Soundscape Programme's adventures in sound that Lisa Lavia, Managing Director of The Noise Abatement Society (NAS), shares in conversation with our host, Simon Gosling, in this episode of The Quiet Mark Podcast.    

'There are no bad sounds. There are only the wrong sounds in the wrong context', explains Lisa as she talks of her work establishing the NAS’ soundscape programme, which has positioned NAS firmly at the global forefront of international soundscape standardisation and applied soundscape practices in the UK through demonstration projects, applied research and policy development. 

The Noise Abatement Society campaigns and conducts research, education and outreach to policymakers, indstry, academia, and citizens to solve noise pollution problems for the benefit of all. Listen to Lisa explain its origins, its family ties with Quiet Mark and the work it does to provide solutions to noise pollution, support the next generation of acousticians, encourage better sound design and improve acoustics in the built environment. 

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

 In this episode, we explore the first-ever Sound of the Year Awards with Matthew Herbert and Cheryl Tipp. We also look at the huge increase in natural soundscape stream that has occurred during lockdown and discuss the art of field recording.

 The inaugural Sound of the Year Awards 2020 is a newly launched celebration of everyday sound (not music) in all its forms 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. During lockdown there has been a chance to hear the world differently, cities, in particular, have been transformed as they’ve emptied. Sound, listening and a healthy sonic environment are becoming recognised as a vital part of our daily lives.

 Where there are many awards shows for everything associated with moving images, the time seems right to acknowledge and support those working hard to build and share their knowledge and recordings of moving audio in this new age of sound. 

Matthew Herbert - BBC New Radiophonic Workshop & Cheryl Tipp - Curator of Wildlife & Environmental Sounds - British Museum are both Judges at The Sound of the Year Awards. Our host, Simon Gosling, finds out what all the noise is about!

In addition, he asks Cheryl Tipp to share the ins and outs of her role looking after the 250K recorded sounds archive at The British Library and what being a Curator of Natural Sounds at The British Library entails.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

At this time of a global pandemic, clinicians and medical staff are under intense pressure. Treating an ever increasing number of patients and finding enough emergency beds is far more urgent a priority than sound and acoustics. Nevertheless, news of vaccinations provides hope that we are in the beginnings of an end to this global catastrophe. The work that Yoko does with Sen Sound, and the product development innovation of our Quiet Mark Certified Manufacturer partners, found on our acousticsacademy.com, will all combine to improve the future sound of the hospital experience, be that the joy of the birth of a new child, or the sad passing of a loved one.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

ROCKWOOL Limited is part of the ROCKWOOL Group. With one factory based in Bridgend, South Wales and over 500 employees across the UK, we are the local organisation offering a full range of high-performing and sustainable insulation products for the construction industry

In addition to discussing how ROCKWOOL's range of insulation products was used to help build the music studio of Claudio's dreams, we explore how ROCKWOOL can be used to thermally and acoustically transform our homes and improve our work from home environments to increase productivity and wellbeing.

With homeowners across England exploring the opportunities presented by the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme, stone wool insulation manufacturer, ROCKWOOL, has launched the ‘ROCKWOOL Green Homes Grant app’ to support those looking to access funding for energy efficiency improvement projects.

ROCKWOOL is one of many products listed in Quiet Mark's Acoustic Academy. This brand-new online platform further equips and empowers architects, builders and designers with a guide to expertly verified leading acoustic solutions for every building application area: acousticsacademy.com

Find out more about ROCKWOOL's Quiet Mark certified products here: https://www.quietmark.com/brands/rockwool

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

In this episode, we explore ways to equip architects, designers and specifiers with best solutions to solve the major problem of reverberation across very many building types and design scenarios. When reverberation is left untreated, sound bounces around hard surfaces, such as wall, floors and ceilings, spoiling the overall experience of the building and potentially causing daily long-term discomfort to inhabitants. If left off the priority list a building can sound hollow and ugly and not be suitable for its intended purpose.  

Of our two guests on Episode 12, one creates beautiful acoustics in iconic buildings, the other provides specification consultancy on new projects to assist Architects, Designers and Contractors with advice on specialist surface finishes.

Jack Richardson works as a Senior Acoustic Consultant for Hilson Moran, an engineering consultancy with a reputation for delivering sustainable and innovative designs for the built environment on behalf of people and businesses worldwide.

Spencer Drake is Regional Sales Manager at Armourcoat Surface Finishes, a market-leading manufacturer and specialist contractor of decorative surface finishes. Developed over almost 40 years the company works with a network of agents and customers and enjoys product sales and installation into 80 countries.

In February, Quiet Mark launched its Acoustics Academy, 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. Armourcoat is one such product listed in the Acoustics Academy directory, and host Simon Gosling asks them both about their work and how they recently combined on a luxury swimming pool project within one of London's premier apartment buildings.

Outside of his employment, Jack is a member of the Institute of Acoustics (IOA) Southern Branch Committee, where he sits beside various other industry experts sharing the common goal of positively contributing to the future direction of the acoustics industry and raising awareness of the importance of good acoustics in our everyday lives.

Spencer graduated from Reading University in 2000 after studying surveying and joined Armourcoat in 2002. He has an in-depth knowledge of material application, substrate build-up, and colour technology and has worked on many of the UK's most prestigious projects including The Shard, Darwin Cocoon, The Walkie Talkie and The Gherkin.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

Polished concrete and hard surfaces may be all the rage for today's cafes and restaurants but, according to Flinders University researchers, the accompanying noise levels are reducing people's enjoyment of food.

Using an 11-point Likert scale to rate participants' responses, the study found that restaurant and traffic noise at all levels reduced people's enjoyment of food, but it tasted worse the louder those noises became.

On the flipside, however, the paper found that relaxing music increased people's food enjoyment — by 60 percent at 30dBA, and by 38 percent at 40dBA.

In addition to his studies of sounds effect on our dining experience, Mahmoud also speaks to our host, Simon Gosling about his exploration of sound's impact on our sleep and another one of his studies, "The Human response to wind farm noise compared to road traffic noise based on focused listening tests". 

Mahmoud Alamir has a considerable number of years of international research experience in engineering and programmes. He has developed, co-ordinated, lectured, assessed and examined a wide range of courses. He is now doing research with Australian experts in projects funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). He's presented his research at a number of internationally prestigious journals, conferences, workshops, and seminars. He's also tutored, lectured and coordinated a number of courses including acoustics at theUniversity of Adelaide and Flinders University.

"My general research interests are acoustics and its relation to heat, airflow and human responses (i.e. Thermoacoustics, Aeroacoustics and Psychoacoustics), Mahmoud tells Simon. "I am currently studying the effect of noise on human responses during my PhD program. In particular, I am studying the effect of wind farm noise on sleep acceptability. In my current and previous work, I use state of the art artificial intelligence models for acoustical problems".

Food, Sleep, Energy and Power - a listen to this fascinating episode really highlights how sound is at the very heart of every element of our lives. Thus providing further emphasis on the need for quiet machines and appliances and improved acoustics in the built environment; made possible by the products and materials that are certified by Quiet Mark and included its AcousticsAcademy.com 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. 

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

In Ep.9 of The Quiet Mark Podcast, Simon Gosling seeks answers to that question from one of the world’s leading experts in the field of sonic identity, Steve Keller, to find out, when it comes to sound in adverts, what makes people tick and why, and to explore the lessons this can teach us in our approach to the acoustic design of products and places.

Steve Keller is Sonic Strategy Director for Studio Resonate, Pandora’s audio-first creative consultancy. With a degree in psychology and over 30 years of experience in the music and advertising industries, Steve’s work explores the ways music and sound impact consumer perception and behaviour.

Recent experiments have examined the relationship between sound and taste, the existence of audio archetypes, the cost and benefits of music, soundscapes and noise in healthcare settings, and how bias impacts the aesthetic judgements of advertising professionals.

Steve raises the subject of ‘Alarm Fatigue’ in hospitals. The alarms, beeps and chatter of a hospital aren’t just uncomfortable for patients and staff: the noise can undermine safety and health.

One report by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses found that from 72% to 99% of all hospital alarms were false. At just one hospital – Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland – there is an average of 350 alarms per patient per day.

Steve talks of ambient musician Yoko Sen who, after an unsettling hospital stay, founded a start-up that creates more pleasing sounds for medical devices and the work of famed composer and U2 Producer, Brian Eno who produced two pieces of light installation art designed to relax patients at The Montefiore Hospital in Hove.

Pandora is a leading music and podcast discovery platform, providing a highly-personalized listening experience to approximately 70 million users each month. As the largest streaming music provider in the U.S., with an industry-leading digital audio advertising platform, Pandora connects listeners with the audio entertainment they love. Pandora is a subsidiary of Sirius XM Holdings Inc.. Together, Pandora and SiriusXM have created the world's largest audio entertainment company.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

Does it have to be this way? One man who believes construction could be quieter and more sustainable, and whose company is determined to make it so, is Kiss House Co-Founder, Mike Jacob; our guest on Episode 8 of The Quiet Mark Podcast. Kiss House’s motto is simple. Build Better. Live Better. 

In 2018 The World Health Organization calculated that at least 1m healthy life-years are lost every year in western European countries because of environmental noise, with cardiovascular disease contributing to the vast majority of these deaths, especially high blood pressure, heart attacks and coronary heart disease. It is thought that noise triggers the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which damages blood vessels over time. 

A wave of silence has spread across the planet as man-made noise fell by 50% during worldwide coronavirus lockdowns. Does a return to a new normality necessarily have to bring with it a return to pre-lockdown volume levels? 

Air traffic has reduced with less vacation travel and global business meetings increasingly taking place on Zoom and other video call platforms.  

With companies such as Google telling employees to stay home until summer 2021, and Twitter announcing that employees could work from home indefinitely, comes a significant reduction in road traffic, with vast numbers of people no longer doing the daily commute.

But what about noise from construction? The number of new homes registered to be built per annum in the UK has risen by more than 80 per cent over the last decade. Ground-working is an especially noisy process, but could much of that be carried out in remote factories, away from neighbourhoods? 

Mike discusses this and more with our host, Simon Gosling, explaining the path that lead to Kiss House and their work to disrupt the future of construction, transforming the lives of occupants, for the better.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

BB&C Architects set up in 1983, is a RIBA Chartered Practice based in Cambridge operating from riverside studios on Bridge Street overlooking the Cam. They work with a wide range of clients and produce diverse architectural solutions within collegiate, university, housing, health, ecclesiastical, theatre, primary and secondary education sectors as well as master planning.

Oliver Brookes is keen Architect, who has and continues to work on many prominent Projects in the heart of Cambridge. For a short period he worked in London on High rise accommodation projects for Broadway Malyan Architects. He moved to BB+C in 2015 to work for a smaller company and to be closer to home. Since being there he has completed two boathouses projects for both Gonville and Caius and Christ Colleges, in addition to this he worked closely with clients to redevelop a large 1930’s student hostel and building of local interest into a stunning, contemporary family home. Currently he is working on a refurbishment project for a grade one listed building at Queens College as well as a new complex on Round Church Street for Trinity College, comprising a 110 cover high end restaurant on the ground floor with four floors of student accommodation above.

Armourcoat is a market leading manufacturer and specialist contractor of decorative surface finishes. The company has its UK head offices in Sevenoaks and has a wholly owned US subsidiary business based in Las Vegas. Developed over 30 years the company works with a network of agents and customers and enjoys product sales and installation into 80 countries. The UK business manages the manufacture of the wide product range, global distribution and technical support. It also runs a significant contracting business operating in the UK and Europe. With an outstanding and ever growing product range Armourcoat remain at the forefront of sustainable decorative surface solutions. 

Armourcoat's acoustic plaster 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 enviro

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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 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.”

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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.”

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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.”

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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!

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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, who 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.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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.

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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.

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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. 

https://www.quietmark.com/podcast

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.  

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https://www.quietmark.com/podcast