Noisy homes may affect health
[caption id="attachment_35868" align="alignright" width="405"] SERENE SILENCE: The Quiet Treehouse, designed by Blue Forest Treehouses, is currently on display at the Ideal Home Show, to provide a glimpse of the next-generation dream home[/caption]
I HAVE seen the future. Or, rather, I have heard it. I am sitting in a cocoon of tranquillity, a beautiful treehouse which looks like something JRR Tolkien would have dreamed up for Rivendell, the serene elves' kingdom.
This is no ordinary treehouse: on the inside, it appears just like the average home, with a kitchen and living room, complete with all the mod cons, but it also has been designed as a sanctuary, a haven from "unnecessary" noise. The walls, floors and roof are lined with sounddeadening materials, the windows have noisereducing glass and the appliances don't roar to life but whisper while they work.
This is what coming home should feel like – and, according to the interior design world, one day it will.
The "quiet treehouse," designed by Blue Forest Treehouses, is currently on display at the Ideal Home Show, to provide a glimpse of the next-generation "dream home" which will appeal to the ears as much as to the eyes.
It's the showcase of a partnership between Quiet Mark, the arm of the Noise Abatement Society that awards its approval mark, and John Lewis, which is making a stand about the way an unpleasant level of sound dominates home life.
"We have noticed that customers have an increasing awareness of household noise, and the negative impact it can have," says Jonathan Marsh, head electricals buyer at John Lewis. "For a long time we've just accepted that modern life means a cacophony of noise, which really affects the way we feel.
"But people's tolerance levels are getting lower, and they are now making decisions based on sound as much as price."
There is already a host of effective solutions available for people who want to "soundscape" their homes, ranging from Acoustiblok wall membranes to Rockwool's acoustic insulation, and Kvadrat "soft cell" textile technology for walls and ceilings. But as building components, they tend to apply more to high-end new-builds.
Minimising noise from everyday gadgets, however, is an achievable first step for all of us; in fact, the Quiet Mark came about in response to public complaints about household appliances invading the fabric of everyday life.
"The sound of appliances is a particular problem because space is at a premium, many homes don't have a utility room and, of course, because of openplan living," Marsh says.
And the "big offenders" for unnecessary noise are some of the most necessary for a pleasing environment: the washing machine, vacuum cleaner, extractor fan and food mixer.
There's evidence that this everyday soundtrack impacts on our health. "The body's natural reaction to a sudden loud noise is an increase in heart rate and blood pressure," says Dr Anna Hansell, a leading expert in the field, at Imperial College London. - By Maria Fitzpatrick
