Independent homes
Stair and landing Acoustic Design for Independent homes
Find the noise source and its route through the space. Treat sound leaking between rooms differently from echo inside one room.
Explore the ideas
Plan in this order
- List sources of speech, equipment and impact noise at the busiest time.
- Put quiet work away from busy edges where possible. Check doors, gaps and service penetrations before adding finishes.
- Use absorption for excessive echo. Ask an acoustic specialist where speech privacy or isolation is essential.
Worked example
A hard-finished foyer amplifies door closings and makes conversations audible in the adjacent lounge.
Add absorption at the ceiling or on a wall away from the door, then improve the door’s soft-close behavior. Recreate an ordinary arrival and listen from the lounge seating.
How to test it
Recreate the noisier activity and listen from adjoining seats and rooms with doors both open and closed.
Apply it to this space
- Layout
- Keep the stair landing free of storage and provide a clear view of each approach.
- Detail
- Use continuous hand support and low-glare lighting at both ends and along the steps.
- Trade-off
- Under-stair storage adds capacity but can constrict the stair approach.
- Walk the stair with hands occupied
- Check lighting and head clearance
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