When designing a building, architects have a lot to consider, such as understanding the client’s brief, budget considerations, ensuring building regulations are met, safety and environmental requirements, creating new building designs, drawing up detailed plans, and working closely with other contractors involved.
There is, however, one invisible factor that is sometimes overlooked – and that’s noise. The noise levels from, and within, a building can strongly influence whether it is judged as a success or failure. Taking steps to mitigate excessive noise brings many benefits to the environment, the economy, and the health of a building’s users and the local community.
A survey conducted by Earth5R in January 2023 by 45 volunteers from 15 Indian cities investigated noise pollution and found that noise levels were nearly 50 per cent higher than the permissible limit of 50 dBin ‘silent’ and residential areas.
Making the invisible, visible

Although noise is invisible, by using simulation software, it is possible to create a noise map. These are very visual demonstrations of where it comes from and how it propagates. The charts are color-coded so can be understood easily. This can be useful, especially when dealing with the local community or non-building professionals involved in the project. Mapping software can also break down different noise components rather than just giving an overall figure as a measurement does. With this approach, mitigation can be targeted in the most cost-efficient way.
Uncomplicating the process
If one only has an occasional requirement to undertake a project to assess noise, then mapping the noise using specialist software does not need to be complicated. Perhaps requires a one-off survey for an industrial plant, development plan, or transport infrastructure or one may need to predict the noise emissions from sound systems at an open-air event, to give a graphical overview of the expected noise during the planning of the stage setup. That’s why the developed SoundPLAN essential, software is designed to provide reliable tabular and graphical results for a standard noise calculation with the investment of minimal time. What to consider when choosing software:
- Clear documentation is just as important for one-off or occasional noise projects as it is for more comprehensive noise mapping. Check that the software provides informative, standardized tables and clear graphical outputs so that one can present and document the noise map calculation results professionally and clearly in no time at all.
- Does the software enable one to map different types of noise emissions from roads, railways, and industry sources effortlessly? For example, for industrial noise, is there a convenient level calculator whereby machine operating times and the emission of moving sound sources can be taken into account very easily?
- Check the software is always up to date with the latest noise standards for road, rail, industry, events, parking lots, and for noise from outside sources that can affect people within a building.
- Make sure it contains a large number of noise emissions data within its library, including emission of moving sound sources, to simplify noise reporting, whilst also giving one the flexibility to add their own data at any time. The information can come from manufacturers’ specifications, software libraries, and many other sources.
- Choose software that enables to import and adjust geometry data. It should enable one to transfer background maps from Google Maps and Open Street Map so that one can use these as a basis for terrain models and work on projects efficiently.
- Does the software include a ‘Building Acoustics-Outside‘ module? This is a very helpful tool when it comes to noise remediation or protective measures against external noise when planning buildings. It can be used to prove the acoustic properties of a room against unwanted outdoor noise. Software should conform to the updated standard EN ISO 12354-3:2017, relating to the estimation of the acoustic performance of buildings. The software should include optimization for any number of facades and components, as well as the use of a library of supplied sound insulation options.
- If the requirements are changing and one needs more than occasional standard noise mapping, can they easily be upgraded to a more comprehensive noise mapping package, like SoundPLAN noise?