Exterior Acoustic Comfort

Implementing acoustic control measures to minimize the impacts of exterior-sourced noises, such as road traffic noise, can improve sleep quality and decrease stress, contributing to enhanced physical and mental health.

Key Terms 

• Exterior Noise Prevention utilizes design, construction, and operations strategies to shield the building or development from outside sounds.

Strategy Insights

• This strategy outlines four qualifying exterior noise prevention measures:
• • Orienting dwelling units away from noise sources. For example, a project may choose to place bedrooms on an interior courtyard, with living rooms and other functions on the exterior where surrounding roads border the project. 
  • Placing non-residential land between a noise source and dwelling units. For example, recessing the project from a street and providing a buffer of mature hedges and/or trees to diminish noise impacts on the building.
  • Sealing windows and doors. Here, documentation must demonstrate the adequate sealing of all windows and doors within the dwelling units. 
  • Using soundproofing materials on external walls. Here, any type of soundproofing material that is approved for external wall use may be applied. Examples of this include soundproofing insulation, mineral wool, soundproof fiberglass, sound-deadening paint, etc. 
• In general, Fitwel does not specify the types of sealers, devices, and/or architectural measures deemed acceptable with the intent to provide the real estate industry with flexibility and acknowledge the multiple pathways possible to achieve this strategy. 
• Fitwel does not currently mandate an STC (sound transmission class) rating.