Baird Building, Perth WA

Perth's CBD heritage refurbishments called for fully-restored heritage buildings with the latest in commercial green design. One40William adds to the Perth cityscape with outstanding contemporary designs incorporated with gorgeous heritage buildings. Situated right in the vibrant heart of the city, noise was an inevitable drawback for buildings within this precinct.

The Challenge
The WA Department of Finance wanted to blend modern interior designs with the heritage facades of three iconic Perth buildings: the Globe, the Baird and Wellington Buildings. ISIS, the fit out and refurbishment specialist managed the project alongside leading interior architects the IA Group.

While retaining the character of the existing heritage windows was a priority, it was also a quandary, given the noise assessment by Gabriel Acoustics: "Existing windows are poorly sealed; resulting in significant acoustic leakage...AS/NZS 2107:2000 will require secondary glazing inside the existing glazing"

The Works
Magnetite was installed to reduce the noise in 134 windows. The acoustic consultants recommended an air cavity of up to 100mm be created. Magnetite Perth carried out the installation after hours to minimise any disruption to office staff.

Dollars and Sense
ISIS's project manager Michael Foreman commented:"Magnetite was approached for an acoustic glazing solution. The advice & service has been excellent. Afterhours work was cleanly, safely & efficiently performed. The end result blends with the existing building fabric seamlessly"

Noise reduced on average by up to 12dB (A) inside. For old buildings, these are impressive results, creating a more comfortable and efficient work environment. As a general rule of thumb, 10dB (A) equates to around 50% noise reduction. In one room, noise reduced by over 14dB (A).