Sweco Belgium
Egied Van Broekhoven: the importance of acoustic comfort in schools
Sound has a significant impact on our well-being. Since the lockdowns in 2020, when the world came to a standstill, everyone has become more aware of how “loud” our environment can be. Noise-canceling headphones have become indispensable. Sound is also a crucial factor in schools. Studies show that a quiet learning environment can greatly improve concentration and learning ability.
When children are exposed to an average noise level of more than 55 dB(A), their learning performance begins to decline. Reading, learning, and remembering become more difficult, and understanding the teacher becomes harder. This is even more noticeable in children with learning challenges. Moreover, noise pollution leads to irritation and stress, which in turn impacts health.
Acoustic comfort contributes to an optimal learning environment
The Egied Van Broekhoven school gained recognition in national and international architecture competitions over the past year. Acoustically, this remarkable school is top-notch. Sweco’s acoustic engineers provided their expertise from the very beginning of the concept. Their advice and solutions, supported by simulations and various studies, were seamlessly integrated into the pure architecture.
One of the first challenges was the mixed context. The Egied Van Broekhoven school is a mix of conversion and new construction. The former Vandenheuvel brewery in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek was renovated with maximum respect for the art-deco style and expanded with a new volume.
The large industrial hall of the brewery was transformed into an open learning center, a space where students can study independently. Our experts examined the room acoustics and reverberation at various points in the design through simulations. The characteristic, barrel-shaped concrete roof with skylights was sprayed with acoustic plaster. A partially perforated wooden wall with a bench crosses the space. Stairs in the wooden wall lead at regular intervals to mezzanines on two levels, with carpet. With these interventions, students find a place in the open learning center that lends itself to focus and concentration.
In addition to the open learning center, the industrial hall houses an auditorium, which is also transformed into an optimal teaching environment thanks to plaster and perforated wooden walls. In the sports hall, wooden walls minimize any flutter echo and reverberation, along with wood wool cement cladding on the ceiling.
In the new construction part of the school, a multifunctional space stands out, three stories high and with skylights. The striking hall can function as a cafeteria, for receptions, performances, etc. Wooden vertical slats on frames create a warm atmosphere, while the mineral wool behind the wood cladding provides optimal acoustic comfort.
The school also includes a caretaker’s residence. Therefore, our acoustic experts had to take into account both school building standards and residential building standards in their advice. This added extra complexity.
A busy school in a lively neighborhood
The comprehensive school offers education in ASO, TSO, and BSO on 12,975 m². This means a lot of students in the coming years – the management opened the brand-new school with the first and second year of secondary education and will gradually expand in the coming years. The building also offers multiple outdoor spaces at different levels, including a basketball court on top of the sports hall. This has a sound impact on the surrounding neighborhood, including a new residential development right next to the school.
In addition to residential and school building standards, the project had to meet the environmental noise factor requirements of the Brussels legislator, embodied in the environmental permit. Using a 3D sound model, our acoustic engineers proposed a screen. A four-meter-high coconut sound screen limits the sound transmission from the playing children to the neighborhood. The ecological material can become overgrown over time, giving the screen a new appearance for both the children and the neighborhood. In the sports hall, dimensioned glass limits any noise pollution.
Related news
Egied Van Broekhoven: the importance of acoustic comfort in schools
Read more
Enhancing acoustic environments in healthcare: a case-study of Les Viviers Hospital
Read more
VDAB Career Campus becomes inspiring top-tier example
Read more
