Acoutect · Project

Acoustic Design Tools and Expertise for Quieter, Healthier Modern Buildings

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Modern buildings are getting noisier — think open-plan offices, lightweight walls that let sound through, and apartments built next to highways. Acoutect brought together 10 partners across 6 countries to train the next generation of building acoustics experts and develop better ways to design, test, and fix sound problems in buildings. They built demonstrators showing how acoustic quality can be maintained even in energy-efficient and lightweight constructions. Essentially, they created both the knowledge base and the trained people that the construction industry needs to stop building places that make us miserable.

By the numbers

consortium partners

European countries involved

industry partners in consortium

project deliverables produced

50%

industry participation ratio

SMEs in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Modern buildings face a growing acoustic crisis: open-plan offices kill productivity, lightweight green construction lets noise through walls, and urban infill projects put residents next to highways. Architects and developers often discover sound problems only after construction, leading to expensive retrofits or unhappy occupants. The building industry lacks enough acoustic specialists who understand both modern construction methods and human comfort requirements.

The solution

What was built

Acoutect produced 13 deliverables including demonstrators showcasing acoustic design solutions for modern buildings, launched publicly via their project website. The project also trained a cohort of early-stage researchers in building acoustics across the full chain — from acoustic design and product development to subjective sound quality evaluation.

Audience

Who needs this

Office developers and workspace designers dealing with open-plan noise complaintsPrefabricated and modular construction manufacturers needing better sound insulationArchitecture firms designing sustainable low-energy buildingsUrban property developers building in high-noise areas near roads or airportsBuilding product manufacturers developing acoustic insulation materials

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Commercial Real Estate & Office Development

enterprise

Target: Office developers and workspace designers building open-plan environments

If you are an office developer dealing with noise complaints and productivity losses in open-plan workspaces — this project developed acoustic design methods and demonstrators that help predict and solve sound problems before construction begins. The consortium of 10 partners including 5 industry participants validated these approaches across 6 European countries. Early-stage acoustic design prevents costly retrofits after tenants move in.

Prefabricated & Modular Construction

mid-size

Target: Manufacturers of lightweight or modular building systems

If you are a prefab or modular construction company struggling with sound insulation in lightweight wall and floor systems — this project specifically addressed acoustic challenges in lightweight building materials. Their demonstrators tested solutions for maintaining sound quality when heavy traditional materials are replaced with lighter alternatives. With 5 academic partners providing measurement science and 5 industry partners grounding results in practice, findings are directly applicable to product improvement.

Sustainable Building & Green Construction

any

Target: Architects and engineering firms designing low-energy buildings

If you are an architecture or engineering firm designing sustainable low-energy buildings and finding that energy-efficiency measures compromise acoustic comfort — this project tackled exactly that trade-off. Their research across 13 deliverables addressed how to maintain acoustic quality in modern building concepts without sacrificing energy performance. The project's demonstrators provide practical reference cases for balancing green building requirements with occupant well-being.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access Acoutect's acoustic design tools or methods?

Acoutect was funded as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie training network, meaning its primary outputs are published research and trained experts rather than commercial products. Based on available project data, the demonstrators were launched publicly via their website. Licensing costs would depend on negotiations with the consortium partners.

Can these acoustic solutions work at industrial scale for large construction projects?

The consortium included 5 industry partners alongside 5 academic institutions, suggesting the methods were developed with real-world application in mind. However, Acoutect was primarily a research training programme, so scaling would require further engineering and adaptation for specific building types and standards.

Who owns the intellectual property from this project?

IP is shared among the 10 consortium partners across 6 countries (BE, FI, FR, NL, SE, UK), coordinated by Technische Universiteit Eindhoven. Specific licensing arrangements would need to be discussed with individual partners depending on which outputs are relevant. As a training network, much of the knowledge output is published openly.

Does this comply with current building acoustic regulations in Europe?

The project was designed to address current and future acoustic challenges in the built environment, working within European building standards. With partners across 6 countries, the research accounts for varying national regulations. However, specific compliance would need to be verified against local building codes.

How long would it take to implement these acoustic solutions in a real project?

The project ran from 2017 to 2020 and produced 13 deliverables including demonstrators. Based on available project data, the methods and tools developed could inform acoustic design from the planning phase of a construction project. Integration timelines would depend on project complexity and which specific Acoutect outputs are applied.

Can Acoutect methods integrate with existing building design software like BIM?

Based on available project data, Acoutect focused on acoustic design methods, products, and subjective evaluation of sound. The demonstrators suggest practical tools were developed, but specific software integration details would need to be confirmed with the consortium. The 50% industry participation ratio suggests practical compatibility was considered.

Consortium

Who built it

The Acoutect consortium is evenly balanced with 5 academic and 5 industry partners across 6 European countries (Belgium, Finland, France, Netherlands, Sweden, UK), led by Technische Universiteit Eindhoven — a top-tier technical university in the Netherlands. The 50% industry ratio is strong for a training network and indicates real-world grounding. However, with only 2 SMEs, the consortium leans toward larger organizations and universities. For a business looking to adopt these methods, the mix of academic rigor and industry participation is encouraging, but the training-network nature of the project means outputs are more knowledge-based than product-ready.

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVENCoordinator · NL
MATERIALISE NVparticipant · BE
MATELYS - RESEARCH LABparticipant · FR
MOELVEN TOREBODA ABparticipant · SE
AALTO KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SRparticipant · FI
SIEMENS INDUSTRY SOFTWARE NVparticipant · BE
THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOLparticipant · UK
KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVENparticipant · BE
CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOGSKOLA ABparticipant · SE

How to reach the team

Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (Netherlands) — contact via university's building physics department or the project website

Order a report on this consortium See TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with Acoutect's acoustic experts for your building project? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction to the right consortium partner for your specific needs.

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