VIDEO | University of Salford’s £24m acoustics centre takes shape
Morgan Sindall Construction is building the facility for the university’s internationally-recognised acoustics faculty. It is a technically complex project that will feature some of the quietest rooms in the world and forms part of the £2.5bn Crescent Salford masterplan.
Noise has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as the second most harmful environmental pollutant. Once complete, the University of Salford’s modern R&D and teaching facility will support ongoing research into the impact of sound and enhance the institution’s reputation as a pioneer in acoustics research.
The building, located off Wynne Avenue close to the university’s Peel Park campus, will house:
- Ultra‑controlled acoustic environments within vibration‑isolated, triple‑height spaces
- A perception engineering sleep laboratory
- A building environment testing suite
- The UK’s designated Institute for Airborne Acoustics Metrology
The scheme is the third that Morgan Sindall Construction has built for the university in recent years, following the Northern Engineering and Robotics Innovation Centre and the SEE Building, which houses the university’s science, engineering, and environment departments.
The acoustics building, given its exacting specifications due to the nature of the research that will go on inside it, is arguably the most challenging yet.
“One screw being wrong could change the performance of the building,” said Morgan Sindall area director Steven Gregory.
He added that the project has resulted in exemplar levels of supply chain collaboration and engagement.
“If I could bottle up some of the behaviours around this scheme I would,” Gregory said. “We have had to get right into the nitty gritty, right early on in the process to really understand how the building was going to be built. We have had to make sure our plan is absolutely robust.”
Watch the video at the top of this article to learn more about the project and hear from the university, Morgan Sindall Construction, and developer ECF about how it fits into the wider vision for Crescent Salford.
