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Yearly Archives: 2021

Acoustic excellence celebrated at trade body event

Professionals, together with academic and industry guests gathered in Birmingham to celebrate the achievements in the acoustic sector over the past year for the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC).

 

Held at the ANC’s conference at Austin Court, the winners were presented by Bridget Shield MBE.

 

For nine years ANC, the voice of professional consultancy in acoustics, noise and vibration, has held the awards to promote and recognise excellence among UK acoustic consultants.

 

This year, the awards showcased projects across three categories: Acoustics for Inclusion, Building Acoustics, and Environmental Noise.

 

A distinguished panel of judges comprising academics and professionals, as well as representatives from the sponsor companies, scrutinised the entries.

 

An additional two awards were presented for Innovation and Best Presentation, with the latter being decided on the day with members casting their votes on the ANC’s conference app.

 

Paul Shields, chairman of the ANC, said: “The ANC awards highlight the achievements of our members in the industry.

 

“We’ve had a range of entries this year, which really reflects the diversity of the sector.

 

“Last year, the pandemic and restrictions meant we had to hold the event solely online, but this year we were able to perform a hybrid event.

 

“It was brilliant to have the turnout we did for the day, as well as having the flexibility for members who could not attend in person, to still be a part of the event.”

 

A brochure of the event can be found at: https://www.association-of-noise-consultants.co.uk/anc-awards/results-2021/

 

The winners were;

 

Acoustics for Inclusion (sponsored by Ecophon)

  • MACH Acoustics – The Deaf Academy (winner)
  • Adrian James Acoustics – Gresham’s School (Highly Commended)
  • Ramboll – Pupil Referral Unit, Southwark (Commended)

 

 

 

Building Acoustics (sponsored by Pliteq UK)

  • SRL Technical Services – Sir William Henry Bragg Building (Winner)
  • RBA Acoustics – Acoustics Support to PureGym (Highly Commended)
  • AECOM – Royal College of Surgeons 2020 (Commended)
  • Hoare Lea – Birmingham Symphony Hall Foyer (Commended)

 

 

 

Environmental Noise (sponsored by ANV Measurement Systems)

  • Hoare Lea – Gunfire Noise Analysis Tool (Winner)
  • Apex Acoustics – CoHut, Newcastle (Highly Commended)
  • AECOM – Natural Capital Laboratory (Commended)
  • Atkins – Trans-Pennine Rail Upgrade (Commended)

 

 

 

Innovation (sponsored by Mason UK)

  • AECOM – Natural Capital Laboratory (Winner)

 

 

 

Best Presentation (sponsored by CMS Danskin)

  • SRL Technical Services – Sir William Henry Bragg Building (Winner)

 

Bookings open for ANC conference

Bookings are now open for the Association of Noise Consultant’s conference, taking place in Birmingham later this month.

 

Environmental noise, acoustics for inclusion, and buildings & planning are among the topics being discussed at the event, which takes place on November 25 at Austin Court in Birmingham.

 

Open to ANC members and non-members, the conference attracts a wide audience with a shared interest in creating a better acoustic environment across the UK.

 

Booking details can be found at;

https://www.association-of-noise-consultants.co.uk/anc-awards/awards-2021/

 

The conference also includes the ANC awards’ event in the afternoon. Entries are now closed and the shortlisted nominees are;

 

Acoustics for Inclusion (sponsored by Ecophon)

  • Ramboll – Pupil Referral Unit, Southwark
  • Adrian James Acoustics – Gresham’s School
  • MACH Acoustics – The Deaf Academy

Building Acoustics (sponsored by Pliteq UK)

  • Hoare Lea – Birmingham Symphony Hall Foyer
  • SRL Technical Services – Sir William Henry Bragg Building
  • AECOM – Royal College of Surgeons 2020
  • RBA Acoustics – Acoustics Support to PureGym

Environmental Noise: (sponsored by ANV Measurement Systems)

  • AECOM – Natural Capital Laboratory
  • Hoare Lea – Gunfire Noise Analysis Tool
  • Atkins – Trans-Pennine Rail Upgrade

The Innovation (sponsored by Mason UK) and Best Presentation (sponsored by CMS Danskin) awards will also be announced at the event.

 

The awards will be presented by Bridget Shield MBE.

AECOM crowned winners of STEM challenge

An engaging video showcasing acoustics and STEM careers to students has won a prestigious award.

 

The John Connell STEM Award 2021, created by the Noise Abatement Society together with and sponsored by the ANC and ANV Measurement Systems, was presented to engineering firm AECOM as part of a glittering ceremony at the Palace of Westminster.

 

SRL Technical Services took Highly Commended at the event.

 

Both companies are members of the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC), who sponsored the John Connell STEM award alongside ANV Measurement systems.

 

The open award invited students and experts in acoustics to produce a short film, exploring particular areas of their expertise.

 

The submissions were targeted towards a school age audience and were looking for creative flair with good video and audio production qualities, as well as promoting inclusivity and diversity.

 

Acousticians from AECOM, Cameron Salisbury, Kim Onjum and Drew Waller, produced the winning entry entitled Theo’s Soundwalk.

 

This is the second year the STEM challenge has been held after initially launching in 2019, with the idea of showing schoolchildren examples of STEM opportunities and careers.

 

Graham Parry, President of the ANC, presented the awards at the House of Commons’ ceremony. He said: “We were thrilled at the number of entries we received for this year’s competition.

 

“The standard of submissions has been really high and there’s been some really creative entries so congratulations to AECOM and SRL Technical Services.

 

“Unfortunately, last year we had to press pause on the awards due to the pandemic, but we were back in person this year celebrating the accolades businesses have received.

 

“Since starting the challenge in 2019, the winning and shortlisted videos have been included in an online playlist on the ANC website and they have been used extensively to promote acoustics to a younger generation.”

 

Gloria Elliot OBE, Chief Executive of the Noise Abatement Society, added: “We’d like to not only congratulate AECOM for their success at the John Connell Awards this year, but also extend our thanks to everyone who entered the competition.

 

“It’s important we continue to encourage the younger generation about the opportunities within STEM and the sound environment and these videos show a fun, interactive approach in doing that.”

 

The initiative builds on the ANC’s ‘#ExploreAcoustics’ campaign, which promotes the wide range of opportunities available to students interested in a career in STEM.

 

#ExploreAcoustics includes video interviews and in-depth case studies featuring students, graduates, professionals and academics in the industry.

 

The information can be found at www.association-of-noise-consultants.co.uk/explore-acoustics

 

Deadline extended for acoustics STEM challenge

The Noise Abatement Society’s John Connell STEM award, sponsored by the Association of Noise Consultants and ANV Measurement Systems, has extended its deadline to the 1 October 2021.

 

Entries are invited from those working in or studying acoustics. Those taking part need to produce a short video film, exploring a particular area of their expertise, and explaining it to a general audience.

 

Judges are looking for entries which are creative, include good video and audio production qualities and promote inclusivity and diversity.

 

Each video will then be judged as part of an accolade in the Noise Abatement Society’s renowned John Connell Awards programme.

Video clip entries should be targeted towards a school age audience and be between one and three minutes in length.

 

Instrumentation used in the work or study place can also be used in the film.

 

Paul Shields, chairman of the ANC, said: “We hope acousticians will take up the mantle and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

 

“We are hoping to see some really creative ideas coming through this year, particularly as we become more accustomed to producing video and digital content in our day-to-day work.

 

“The winning and shortlisted videos are included in an online playlist on the ANC website, to deliver an interesting dimension to STEM promotional activities and events in the future.”

 

The winner will be recognised at the John Connell Awards, taking place at the Palace of Westminster later this year, which is a great opportunity.

 

Gloria Elliot OBE, Chief Executive of the Noise Abatement Society, said: “It’s really important that we inspire young people about the sound environment, and this award is a great opportunity to do just that.”

 

Entries should be submitted via Mail Big File, WeTransfer, or an equivalent service to jane@shepherd-pr.com More details can be found at https://www.association-of-noise-consultants.co.uk/stem-award-2021/

 

The initiative builds on the ANC’s ‘#ExploreAcoustics’ campaign, which promotes the wide range of opportunities available to students interested in a career in STEM.

 

#ExploreAcoustics includes video interviews and in-depth case studies featuring students, graduates, professionals and academics in the industry.

 

The information can be found at www.association-of-noise-consultants.co.uk/explore-acoustics

Acousticians urged to support STEM challenge

The Association of Noise Consultants and ANV Measurement Systems are once again sponsoring the Noise Abatement Society’s John Connell STEM award.

 

Open to those working in or studying acoustics, entrants need to produce a short video film, exploring a particular area of their expertise, and explaining it to a general audience.

 

Judges are looking for entries which are creative, include good video and audio production qualities and promote inclusivity and diversity.

 

Each video will then be judged as part of an accolade in the Noise Abatement Society’s renowned John Connell Awards programme.

 

Video clip entries should be targeted towards a school age audience and be between one and three minutes in length.

 

Instrumentation used in the work or study place can also be used in the film.

 

Paul Shields, chairman of the ANC, said: “We were really impressed with the response to this competition when we launched it in 2019.

 

“With the awards paused due to the pandemic in 2020, we are now hoping to see some really creative ideas coming through this year, particularly as we become more accustomed to producing video and digital content in our day-to-day work.

 

“The winning and shortlisted videos are included in an online playlist on the ANC website, to deliver an interesting dimension to STEM promotional activities and events in the future.

 

“The videos from the 2019 awards have been used extensively to promote acoustics to a younger generation, and now we are looking for our next batch of entries.”

 

The winner will be recognised at the John Connell Awards, taking place at the Palace of Westminster later this year, which is a great opportunity.

 

Gloria Elliot OBE, Chief Executive of the Noise Abatement Society, said: “We are delighted the ANC and ANV Measurement Systems are once again kindly sponsoring this special John Connell STEM Award.

 

“It’s really important that we inspire young people about the sound environment, and this award is a great opportunity to do just that.”

 

The deadline for entries is Friday, September 17 and entries should be submitted via Mail Big File, WeTransfer, or an equivalent service to jane@shepherd-pr.com More details can be found at https://www.association-of-noise-consultants.co.uk/stem-award-2021/

 

The initiative builds on the ANC’s ‘#ExploreAcoustics’ campaign, which promotes the wide range of opportunities available to students interested in a career in STEM.

 

#ExploreAcoustics includes video interviews and in-depth case studies featuring students, graduates, professionals and academics in the industry.

 

The information can be found at www.association-of-noise-consultants.co.uk/explore-acoustics