The Science of Silence

“Early on we realised that if we wanted to truly transform people’s lives through their living environments, we needed to develop more deeply our fascination with, and knowledge of, the ‘science of silence’ – and then apply that expertise to our products and our process.”

– Jacob Gwalbert Figura

Becoming experts in ‘the science of silence’ has not happened overnight. Far from it. Over the last ten years, it has involved us deepening our wisdom in three distinct areas.

Understanding people’s needs

Understanding acoustic principles in depth

Applying those principles to our products & process

Today we believe we know how to straddle these three ‘camps’ better than anyone else.

Below we touch on each of those three areas… and also on some of the most fascinating aspects of ‘the science of silence’… including some principles that you should know yourself, as they can make a world of difference to the impact of your noise reduction choices.

Understanding people’s needs

At the outset we saw the need to take certain existing technologies and make them available to homeowners and to others for the very first time.

We could see the myriad of noise pollution challenges faced by homeowners, and how – in 2013 – not one of them were being met. At that time, there was simply no adequate way to effectively reduce the decibels.

Increasingly, we’ve become aware of the damaging impacts of noise… as well as the healing benefits of sleep and of tranquility.

We have also looked to stay mindful of the emerging issues ‘out there’ that are crying out for a solution. (For example: hoteliers losing custom because of noise.)

And on every individual project, we create an in-depth picture of a particular client’s needs – by measuring them: by the millimetre, and with the very latest acoustic analyser equipment.

Understanding acoustic principles

 

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of the CPD training that we give to every one of Silent Windows’ engineering team. Specially created for us at Solent University, it draws on the wisdom from experts at the Institute of Acoustics.

Some of those acoustic principles can make a world of difference to the impact of your noise reduction choices.

That’s why every one of our windows is made-to-measure. Not just to fit the physical space, but also to ‘fit’ the acoustic profile of the noise.

DID YOU KNOW?

To protect ourselves from any noise, we need to know its exact frequency. This is because of something called ‘resonance’ – a principle integral to noise reduction.

Any structure that has the same frequency as a noise will amplify it. That includes a glass pane of the wrong thickness which – instead of reducing a noise – may actually have the opposite effect!

Both chillis and decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale!

Some acoustic principles are beautifully simple; others less so!

For our engineering team to achieve their ‘Certification of Competent Environmental Noise Assessment’, they’ve had to to get to grips, in their training, with a myriad of fascinating concepts, principles and equations.

Our acoustic lexicon has certainly expanded! It now includes countless fascinating terms. From atmospheric absorption to decibel subtraction… and from sound propagation to spherical radiation. This training is just one way in which we’re deepening our knowledge of the ‘science of silence’.

By understanding these principles in ever greater depth, our engineers can apply them to every aspect of our process. And by investing in our team’s know-how, we’re actually investing in your windows and your living environment.

Applying those principles

Starting in 2013, we realised our clients deserved something better. Something that didn’t exist at that point. In a change-resistant industry, we were the first to adopt the newest technology – which, until that point, had been reserved for the commercial sector.

We are proud of the design processes and the products we have pioneered, and even more so of the impacts these have had, and are having. But we’re not resting on our laurels.

For us, Research & Development is a vital ongoing process; it underpins our capacity to create completely bespoke windows and doors that will delight for years to come.

The evidence of that commitment? Our training at Southampton University; the hours spent in lab testing even the minutest detail of our products; the visits to an anechoic chamber; and the constant pursuit of the ‘next piece of technology’ that might add another 1dB of noise reduction.

In this way, we continue to explore what is possible so that we can bring new tranquility to different environments and so transform lives.

“In the ocean – neither light nor radio waves can travel far – but sound can…”

From detecting submarines to uncovering the secrets of our planet, sound waves are instrumental in revealing things hidden from the world of light.

True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.

Andrea Bocelli

“A volcano produces sound in a similar way to a musical instrument – with its vent acting as a sound resonator…”

Even in the most beautiful music, there are some silences, which are there so we can witness the importance of silence. Silence is more important than ever, as life today is full of noise. We speak a lot about environmental pollution but not enough about noise pollution.

Andrea Bocell

“… researchers found that two hours of silence daily led to the development of new cells in the hippocampus…”

“ our ears translate sound waves – a physical vibration in the air – into an electrical signal that our brain can understand….”

Unnecessary noise is the most cruel absence of care that can be inflicted on sick or well.

Florence Nightingale

“In space, evidence has been found of sound waves created by a giant black hole. These sounds are one million billion times lower than the limit of human hearing.”

“All profound things and emotions of things are preceded and attended by silence.”

Herman Melville