Acoustic Design For Schools

Acoustic design for schools is required under Building Bulletin 93 (BB93) for all new school buildings and material refurbishments in England, setting mandatory performance targets for sound insulation between spaces, background noise levels in teaching rooms, and reverberation time in halls and communal areas. Non-compliance with BB93 is a planning constraint and a building regulations issue — both Part E and BB93 standards must be satisfied before planning approval and building control sign-off. Build Energy’s acoustic engineers advise architects, contractors, and design teams on achieving BB93 targets for primary schools, secondary schools, and further education projects across England and Wales.

Prior to 2003, Part E of the Building Regulations (‘Resistance to the Passage of Sound’) did not apply to schools, but this has since changed. Part E now refers to Section 1 of Building Bulletin 93 (BB93) – setting out the constructional standard for acoustics in new school buildings.

Any new building, change of use or extension to existing buildings is now covered within Building Regulations and subject to detailed design and onsite checks by Building Control Bodies. Although note that BB93 only applies in England and Wales.

There are many reason why poor acoustics may exist within schools, but BB93 sets out standards for:

• Section 2 – Noise Control
• Section 3 – Insulation from external noise – sound insulation between rooms
• Section 4 – The design of rooms for speech
• Section 5 – The design of rooms for music
• Section 6 – Acoustic design and equipment for pupils with special hearing requirements

Our experienced consultants will work with your design and construction teams to deliver a coordinated solution. This requires early engagement to ensure that the requirements of BB93 will be met.

Our engineers will then carry out pre-completion sound testing which will measure ambient noise levels, reverberation time and sound insulation between rooms.

BREEAM Education

It is likely that a BREEAM Assessment will also be required for the new school building. We can ensure that credits are maximised in the Hea 13 (Acoustic Performance) and Pol 8 (Noise Attenuation) categories.

School acoustic design sits alongside BB101 Overheating Analysis for education projects. For wider acoustic services, see Acoustic Consultancy and Sound Insulation Testing. Return to the Acoustics hub. For planning applications requiring noise assessment, see Noise Impact Surveys.

What are BB93 and BB101 acoustic standards for schools?

BB93 (Building Bulletin 93) sets acoustic standards for school buildings in England, covering indoor ambient noise levels, sound insulation between spaces and reverberation times. BB101 is the more recent guidance for schools in England from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Build Energy designs school acoustic specifications to meet both standards.

Which types of school buildings does Build Energy cover?

Build Energy provides acoustic design for all types of educational buildings including primary schools, secondary schools, further education colleges, special educational needs (SEN) facilities and early years settings. We work with architects, main contractors and local authority clients from RIBA Stage 1 through to completion.

What is the acoustic performance required under BB93?

BB93 sets limits on indoor ambient noise levels, reverberation times and sound insulation between spaces. Key requirements include an indoor design noise level of 35 dB(A) LAeq for teaching spaces and a maximum reverberation time of 0.6–0.8 seconds depending on room use. Compliance with these targets is a condition of ESFA funding for school buildings.

Does acoustic design for schools affect BREEAM credits?

Yes. BREEAM Education assessments include an acoustic performance credit (Hea 05) which rewards schools that achieve acoustic performance above Building Regulations minimum. Build Energy advises on the acoustic specification needed to achieve the target credit level.

At what project stage should an acoustic consultant be appointed for a school?

Acoustic consultants should be appointed as early as possible – ideally at RIBA Stage 1. Early appointment allows the room layout, structural specification and services design to be optimised for acoustic performance. Late-stage acoustic appointments frequently require costly changes to the design.