View From Within: Without Too Much Noise

Quite often buyers and tenants reject offers of offices and homes that offer no protection against noise. “Soundproofing may be called one of the key factors that influence a tenant’s choice of a property as only where quality soundproofing is available it is possible to guarantee confidentiality and maintain normal working atmosphere,” says Yulia Averina, deputy general director at Colliers International FM.

Andrei Zhamkin, senior commercial real estate analyst at Blackwood, says that good soundproofing may be compared to availability of electricity supply, as this is one of the essential requirements for creating normal working conditions. “That is why would-be office tenants from the very beginning expect the property to be quiet and do not even ask any questions about the noise situation on the site,” he says. Good soundproofing in class A and B offices is implied, although in truth not all properties have it.

From Standpoint of Law

“Today, office properties are not classified by quality of noise insulation available. When building modern office centers developers proceed from statutory requirements laid down in construction rules and standards and own experience,” says Vladimir Zhuravlyov, head of commercial real estate and investment at NAI Global.

However, according to Aidar Galeyev, head of analysis and valuation of commercial property management and development at the Miel Nedvizhimost realty, soundproofing is one of the sanitary requirements any public or residential building must meet. “Soundproofing requirements are set in corresponding legal acts. Homes, of course, must have the lowest noise levels, followed by hotels and offices. Requirements may be adjusted, for example, in accordance with the nature of operations planned on the property. If the working process as such involves a large amount of noise, then of course, requirements will be less tough,” Galeyev adds.

Yulia Averina says that the maximum noise level permitted for hotels is 35 to 50 decibel, for offices, including prime class A business centers 45 to 60 decibel; for dining areas in cafes and restaurants 50 to 60 decibel. “If the noise level exceeds 60 decibel the property will simply never be commissioned,” Aidar Galeyev explains.

Marina Gubanova, head of property management at MIAN Development, says that effective regulations do not impose any special restrictions on maximum noise levels allowed in downtown area; the provisions in force equally apply to all properties regardless of their functional use in all parts of the country. “There are sanitary regulations in force and municipal building rules and regulations, which restrict noise levels at work desks, in apartments, public buildings including hotels, offices, shopping centers, etc. Then, there is a Soviet-era standard setting maximum allowed noise and sound pressure levels,” Marina Gubanova explains.

Vladimir Zhuravlyov says that the building rules and regulations, in particular, lay down requirements as to technical characteristics of construction materials, recommended for fit-out of external walls and internal walls and partitions, and set recommended density of soundproofing materials, for example 40 kilos per 1 cubic meter. Construction of offices, mixed-use complexes and hotels falls under the building rules and regulations SNiP20/03/2003 “Protection against noise and acoustics” and SN 2.2.4/2.1.8.562-96 “Noise at workplaces, in residential and public buildings and in residential territories.”

Remarkably, the former document was adopted to replace the 1997 SNiP P-12-77 “Noise protection”; the new document has changed numerical values of air noise isolation indexes, which means the lawmakers have introduced tougher requirements as regards noise levels in buildings. In 1997, the Moscow government adopted local building rules MSN 2.04-97 “Acceptable levels of noise, vibration and noise insulation requirements for residential and public buildings.” Tougher regulations have resulted in many older buildings’ failure to meet necessary requirements.

High Risk Groups

On Moscow’s real estate market there are several types of buildings where noise levels may fail to meet tenants’ requirements. First and foremost, those are old developments. “The majority of new developments raised in Russia in recent years fully meet modern soundproofing requirements; they are built using top-end technologies and materials that guarantee reliable protection against noise. In previous years acoustics standards were largely neglected. This was due also to cost cutting and tight construction deadlines, but mainly to the lack of tough noise isolation standards,” Yulia Averina says.

Vladimir Zhuravlyov says that the majority of modern office centers operating in Moscow today meet all legal requirements in terms of noise levels, while in older properties located along the city’s main highways, noise levels considerably exceed acceptable limits. “As a rule, such properties are refurbished unprofessionally, with only internal decorations being changed and old windows replaced with new glass panes. But such measures do not suffice. Less comfortable in terms of noise protection are class C offices on Tverskaya, Novy Arbat streets, the Garden Ring and along major avenues,” the expert believes.

The second “at-risk” group comprises mixed-use complexes, especially buildings providing office space, apartments and shops. “Such problems may arise especially in mixed-use buildings where shops and office spaces are situated next to each other. The problem may be avoided by implementing competent design solutions, soundproofing techniques and materials, etc. Public and residential buildings without sound insulation simply do not exist; but, most importantly, sound insulation should be correctly calculated, designed, conform to functional use of the property and meet sanitary regulations,” Aidar Galeyev insists.

Much depends also on urban environment. An office with a source of permanent noise in the vicinity also falls in the high-risk category. “In terms of sound insulation, the most problematic are commercial properties which themselves generate noises, for example casinos or concert halls operating on the premises of residential estates. In such cases, the opening hours of those establishments are restricted or the owner orders original soundproofing solutions,” Vladimir Zhuravlyov notes. Such buildings house back offices of companies and managers try to improve the sound situation with the help of less costly measures, for example by replacing wooden window panes with glass panes.

For example, MIAN’s first office was situated on Shosse Entuziastov, right opposite an industrial territory from where a steam whistle could be heard every now and then. Later the company moved its HQ to Krasnaya Presnya, leaving behind a branch office on the first floor of the Shosse Entuziastov building. To protect employees against noise the company replaced old windows with modern panes.

“In Moscow, companies rarely move to new locations only because of poor sound insulation,” Zhuravlyov says.

Back offices of real estate agencies do not view noise protection as a decisive factor, but there are companies who given the nature of their business cannot work in buildings with poor noise protection. “Some companies, indeed, attach special significance to the issue. Those are, for example, media companies. To reduce the negative influence of noise, such firms simply must use soundproofing materials. They are quite capable of doing that. Even if a developer neglected the issue the property undergoes special refitting,” says Antonina Lairova, senior analyst at Prime City Properties.

The fact that some companies, she says, do rent or buy properties with poor sound insulation is due to the market situation. “The majority of tenants, especially Russian firms have not learned to pay much attention to sound insulation when choosing a property. This is connected with a small choice of vacant offices, on the whole; quite often a tenant has to put up with much greater disadvantages, for example, a location that does not perfectly suit them and high rent,” she says. But the situation is changing, tenants’ requirements grow and they begin to look for spaces with lower noise levels.

Quiet Down!

There are different ways to protect properties against noises, the choice depends on the developer’s budget and his concern for future tenants. “Sound absorbing technologies are based on decreasing acoustical reflection from various surfaces. The desired result is achieved with the help of porous materials, shaggy surfaces, special sound absorbent layers,” says Antonina Lairova. That is why she says “the ceilings should be the first to be covered with sound insulating materials as they reflect the largest amount of sounds.”

“Efficient protection against noise is achieved by using special materials which absorb or weaken sound vibrations of various frequency and intensity. Natural sound insulating materials, for example, mineral wool, have excellent sound insulating properties given their specific structure – chaotically interwoven thin fibers, which rubbing against each other transform sound into heat. Such materials are used mostly in external walls, internal partitions, floors and ceilings,” Yulia Averina adds. Sound absorbing acoustic ceilings, indeed, are usually manufactured from mineral wool and wood fiber, she agrees.

The easiest soundproofing solution is installation of double pane windows, most experts agree. “Efforts should be directed to protect the room from external sources of noise, especially where a property is facing a busy street. Quite helpful is to install modern window panes with 2 to 3 insulated glazing units and insulation of external walls,” Yulia Averina says. Marina Gubanova says those should be the so-called multi-effect glass panes, which combine soundproofing and heat insulating properties. Such materials are often used for panoramic glazing.

“Wall soundproofing solutions are proposed by project designers at early stages; later on those proposals are to be sanctioned by government bodies in charge as they are to meet the aforementioned requirements,” says Marina Gubanova. Walls in modern developments usually comprise several layers including an outer ceramic layer, internal thermo- and sound insulating layers and an internal lawyer. Internal walls are manufactured from gypsum cardboard and also have sound insulating layers.

“One of the most efficient techniques used to protect spaces against impact noise (from footsteps or the dropping of an object) is the floating floor structure,” Yulia Averina adds. “Those are structures with solid elastic layer between the floor and the load bearing concrete slab or floors supported by soft resilient mats.”

On the whole each developer decides for himself which noise protection to chose but class A offices usually provide all types of soundproofing. “Good results are achieved in buildings with modern ventilated facades, which practically rules out penetration of street noise into offices. Loggias also help mitigate noise. Inside the building special floor coverings and suspended ceilings are used to protect spaces from noises coming from other floors, double gypsum cardboard floorings with internal heating layers and quality doors to attenuate noise from neighboring spaces. Protection of workspaces is achieved with good floor plans and correct placement of desks,” says Andrei Zhamkin.

Tenants may also take measures to protect themselves against noise by using additional sound insulating materials, Marina Gubanova adds.

Everything Travelers Need

Hotel developers attach utmost important to sound insulation. Their guests should not suffer from too much noise, after all. Especially if a hotel they are staying at is a five-star property. In Moscow, luxury hotels are often situated on central streets, bustling day and night. Russian building regulations do not set any special soundproofing requirements for hotel properties.

“In line with the provisions of classification of hotels and other accommodation facilities, hotel rooms are to be placed in the areas of minimal noise impact from transport and engineering equipment; properties must have sound insulation in accordance with adopted standards,” says Yevgeny Karkachev, development director at the hotel chain Heliopark Group. “Only then hotel guests may feel calm and comfortable in their rooms.” That is why he says hotel developers proceed from their own ideas of soundproofing requirements and use various means of protection against noise. For example, to improve insulation hotel rooms are often equipped with double doors. Conference rooms on hotel premises are often used as venues for talks by large companies; such rooms should provide top quality sound protection. To this end, Yevgeny Karkachev says, suffice it to bore a 20x20 mm hole in a 15sqm partition for the air noise insulation index to drop by 20 decibels.

“Many hotel operators adopt their own soundproofing standards up to a single decibel. Best Western, under whose brand our hotels will be operating in Russia, has no clear-cut requirements as to sound insulation. Best Western operators have simply determined that all structures should be soundproof. To ensure maximum insulation entrance doors should be equipped with hermetic layers,” Damir Kaftaranov, general director at City Hotel, says.

Not All Are Satisfied

Most experts do not think that sound insulation is the main problem commercial property tenants face. “For most tenants the issue is not of major importance; companies who really attach importance to good soundproofing specify their requirements in advance,” Antonina Lairova says.

Marina Gubanova says that “sound insulation is not the decisive factor for a tenant choosing a property in a modern building as in such buildings the problem is solved during design stages, in accordance with effective regulations.” As an example, Gubanova mentions offices in the Kopernik residential estate. The designers of the project had developed sound insulation systems for certain spaces. In particular, the fitness club is separated from a residential floor with a reinforced monolithic slab. “Walls between apartments were built with special sound proofing layers, 5 to 7cm thick. Besides, all water pipes are made of plastic,” Marina Gubanova adds.

Russian tenants and buyers attach importance rather to location and other factors than noise protection but lately several cases have been reported where quality soundproofing was one of main requirements set by applicants, property analysts say. “Such applications are rather an exception. In Moscow, there is a building, which, though originally designed as a residential property, was later redesigned as an office center, now marketed as class A. Its occupants experience serious problems with sound insulation, given proximity to the Garden Ring,” Andrei Zhamkin says. Potential tenants reject offers of office space there as soon as during their first inspection of the property.

Vladimir Zhuravlyov also recalls similar cases from his practice. “For example, there was a small IT firm that planned to rent an office near Mayakovskaya metro station. It was choosing between six class C offices and rejected five of them located on Tverskaya and facing the street because of noise. The client opted for a property in the backstreets, despite poorer transport accessibility of that site,” he says.