Project title: Investigating neighbour noise through a mixed-methods approach to understand human perception and response
Project Partner: Defra
University: University of Salford
Supervisors: Prof Bill Davies, Dr Graeme Sherriff and Prof David Waddington
What is your PhD about?
My PhD looks at how sound affects people in the place where we expect to feel most comfortable: our home. I will focus on neighbour noise, investigating the acoustic properties and the non-acoustic factors that influence how people respond to it.
Why is it important to do this research?
Neighbour noise is an example of low intensity but chronic noise exposure that causes physiological and psychological stress responses and sleep disruption, which the World Health Organisation recognises can lead to negative health outcomes, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, mental health disorders and even premature deaths.
A physiological stress response can be independent of a psychological response; the risk of harm from chronic noise exposure exists regardless of whether an individual expresses annoyance to it or reports sleep disturbance.
Since the mid 20th century, building regulations have tackled the issue of sound transmission between dwellings, but it was not until the 21st century that legislative control delivered a better success rate in protecting residents from a neighbour’s conversation or their TV (at reasonable sound levels). Most homes in the UK were built before this, so offer very little protection from the risk of neighbour noise nuisance.
What drew you to studying this PhD?
The combination of science and real-world relevance – I am drawn to working on something that could potentially help people enjoy a happier, healthier and more productive life. I also enjoy concentrating deeply on a very long-term project rather than juggling lots of small short-term projects.
What does a Sustainable Sound Future mean to you?
It isn’t about making the world silent. It’s about creating environments with the right sounds in the right places. That means reducing harmful or unwanted sound while protecting the sounds that contribute positively to people’s lives and communities. A sustainable sound future is one where the quality of our acoustic environment is considered just as important as other aspects of public health; and aural diversity across the population is recognised and accommodated.
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
I started out in a recording studio working on film and television music sessions, then studied Electroacoustics at Salford before embarking on a career that has so far spanned acoustics consultancy and government research. Along the way I’ve worked on all kinds of projects from major construction sites like Crossrail to volunteering as a sound heritage archivist for the British Library.
Tell us a fun acoustic fact!
The University of Salford does not claim to ‘own’ the decibel, but does look after it for the rest of us as the UK’s designated institute for airborne acoustics metrology.