Chris Field

Senior Acoustic Consultant; Arup Australia

Young Doctor finds cure for noise infected buildings

Silenceair offers an innovative solution to problems of naturally ventilated office and home spaces in noise polluted areas.

Project description

WHO: The silenceair concept was first developed through Chris Field’s doctoral research at the University of Sydney, Australia.

THE PROBLEM: Today’s urban environments are noisy and pollution is not just in the air outside. The emission of toxic chemicals from air-conditioning and from most modern home and office furnishings is one of the principal factors in what is now recognised as “sick building syndrome”.

THE SOLUTION: To the average occupant it looks like a brick, a transparent brick but it’s a high-tech solution to a modern problem. Silenceair means a quieter and healthier home or workplace.

HOW: Hard to explain without jargon but doing the best we can: silenceair uses patented passive technology to significantly reduce the transmission of sound through building ventilation openings. A patented configuration of resonators dissipates any source of noise, significantly improving the acoustic environment inside the building.

Meanwhile, the design of the unit facilitates free flow of air thereby ventilating interior spaces, bringing fresh air in and circulating stale air out. And at the same time minimising the need for mechanical air-conditioning.

Silenceair can be installed in existing buildings as well as during the construction of new ones.

WHO CARES?: Obviously people who currently live under a flight path or adjacent to a motorway but also urban planners and developers dealing with the space constraints of modern living – the unavoidable proximity of residential estates to major infrastructure.

Environmentally responsible architects building large commercial office buildings looking for “green” alternatives to energy-inefficient ventilation.

WHEN:

1994: Chris commenced PhD on environmental noise. During a PhD related research exercise Chris discovered some interesting effects of the acoustic wavelengths of rocks in water. Chris adapted and translated this research into a new technology.

1997: 1st prototype completed as part of the submission of PhD thesis.

1997 – 2000: Various technical developments and optimisation of the prototype took place. Preliminary attempts to commercialise the product were made by Chris and Fergus independently. Despite high interest from various corporates in a completed manufactured product, commercialisation was inhibited by the cost to manufacture locally and lack of support generally for developing new inventions of the type to the point of manufacture.

1999: 2nd prototype completed and tested.

2001:Commercial partner appointed.

2001 – present: Design enhancements, drafting of business plans, small steps in reaching commercialisation of product, prototype 3 and 4 completed and tested. WHY: In our cities noise pollution is causing significant degradation of our living environments and quality of life. Air-conditioning costs to ventilate buildings are becoming economically prohibitive and environmentally unsustainable. Chris had an interest in natural ventilation of buildings located in noisy environments. He has been significantly motivated by the controversial 3rd runway (SANIP); environmentally conscious design; new concept no existing product; answer to ‘sick building syndrome’ (air-conditioning); and increased demand to build residential projects near major infrastructure (eg. airports, motorways etc).

Website:

Evidence of Quality

Patents held in UK, US, Europe and Australia.

Letters of endorsement from ARUP, Dick Benbow & Associates, CDM (UK).

CSIRO test certificate for acoustic performance and test results from pressure drop.

Qualifications: B.E (Mechanical) Hons I, University of Sydney (1994)

PhD (Acoustics), University of Sydney (1998)

Ph +61 2 9320-9386; Email: Chris.field@arup.com.au; After hours contact: 0417 493-832

Nominated by: Fergus Fricke; Honorary Professor, Acoustics Laboratory, School of Architecture, Design Science and Planning; University of Sydney