Waldorf Astoria Al Madinah
Waldorf Astoria Al Madinah
The challenge
A five-star hotel in Al Madinah carries some of the strictest acoustic requirements in construction. Operator brand standards govern guest room noise, privacy between rooms, ballroom performance, and building services that must remain inaudible, and the building sits in a demanding urban noise environment. A single space type that misses its criterion at handover puts the operator's acceptance at risk.
The objective
Deliver an acoustic design that meets the operator's criteria across every space type and survives intact from specification through construction to handover.
Our role
Full acoustic design, spanning four of our six disciplines.
The solution
The design started outside the building: a full 3D outdoor noise simulation of the site characterized facade exposure and drove the facade insulation design, so each elevation received the rating it needed rather than a uniform worst-case specification. Inside, we specified airborne and impact insulation for guest rooms and back-of-house, designed the room acoustics of the ballroom and public spaces, controlled HVAC noise across the plant schedule, and designed the acoustics of the generator room so standby power never reaches a guest.
How it was delivered
Acoustic specifications were coordinated with the architectural and MEP disciplines through design development, so every criterion had an owner in the design team rather than arriving as a late constraint.
Scope delivered
Acoustic design was delivered across guest rooms, back-of-house, the ballroom and public spaces, the HVAC plant schedule, and the generator room. A 3D outdoor noise simulation set the facade insulation requirement elevation by elevation, and every specification was carried into the architectural and MEP packages through design development.
Commissioning measurements for this project are held under client confidentiality and can be discussed under NDA.
Services delivered: Architectural and Building Acoustics Noise Mapping and 3D Simulation HVAC and MEP Noise and Vibration Control Industrial Acoustics and Power Generation