Acoustic performance in accommodation buildings: From LEED and WELL application to the development of an acoustic classification method and a priority index

Lately, prioritizing the comfort of building occupants has become a key focus in the construction sector. At international level, this is evident with the prominence gained by rating sytems such as LEED and WELL, through which a third party certifies buildings with respect to well-being and impact on the environment and human health. At National level, instead, regulations such as Minimum Environmental Criteria (DM 23/06/2022), provide general indications, aimed at a rationalizing consumptions and promoting sustainable design and operations practices, which directly affect the comfort of inhabitants and workers. In the framework of the various criteria considered, acoustic performance is increasing its relevance. The standards differ from each other and do not always require the same levels of quality and performance. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate and prioritize the superior quality ones on a case-by-case basis. Moreover, not all uses have uniquely identified limits. For example, accommodation facilities lack specific guidelines, which leads to the adoption of personal protocols by owners and designers, resulting in the inability to make comparisons and classifications at national and international levels. In this study, the spaces of a hospitality facility, housed in a historic building and undergoing refurbishment, were qualified following LEED and WELL certifications, chosen as a target for their supranational value. In field measurements and numerical simulations were executed on the building to determine sound transmission and reverberation time pre and post renovation, and to assess how retrofit interventions impact the protocols’ parameters and credits. The procedure highlighted the areas of the building which need acoustic improvements, as well as identified actions that would yield the greatest impact for the purpose of earning the certifications. As a useful tool for similar applications, a method for the acoustic classification of rooms and buildings by means of a single index (global Acoustic Performance Level) was developed, assuming as acoustic quality descriptors the predictive and in-situ insulation of partitions and the reverberation time. Moreover a Priority Index is proposed to find areas or elements for which interventions take precedence, set to the minimum assumed for the classification procedure and based on use, in terms of acoustic criticality and occupancy, and geometrical features of a space.