Course Details

Building Acoustics and Daylighting Buildings

Academic Year 2026/27

NHB045 course is part of 1 study plan

​ NPC-SIS Summer Semester 1st year

Acoustic and visual comfort is important for indoor climate. In terms of sound insulation, it is necessary to deal with both, the vertical and horizontal structures. Horizontal structures, like floor structures and finishing as well as soffits and suspended ceilings must be designed with respect to the impact sound insulation. The room acoustic is rated in terms of reverberation time. Noise attenuation in outdoors is determined in the field of urban acoustics. From building daylighting point of view, windows in building envelopes must be designed to ensure daylighting and insolation of building interiors.

Credits

3 credits

Language of instruction

Czech

Semester

summer

Course Guarantor

prof. Ing. Jitka Mohelníková, Ph.D.

Institute

Institute of Building Structures

Forms and criteria of assessment

graded course-unit credit

Entry Knowledge

Basic knowledge of mathematics, knowledge of  physical properties of building materials, fundamentals in building acoustic terminology,  physical parameters of sound, sound field properties, fundamentals in photometry.

Aims

- Professional knowledge:

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the fundamentals of building acoustics, focusing on the assessment of building structures regarding airborne and impact sound insulation requirements, the design of rooms and their interiors with respect to target reverberation times, the evaluation of indoor environmental requirements, and the design of buildings in relation to protection against external noise. Furthermore, students will be introduced to methods for assessing daylighting and sunlight exposure in buildings.

- Professional skills:

Students will learn to complete reports on assignments concerning building acoustics, daylighting, and solar access in buildings. The experience gained from these reports will be valuable for their further studies and projects.

Professional competencies:

Students will be able to perform basic assessments of building acoustics, daylighting, and sunlight exposure as part of their projects and master's theses.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of mathematics, knowledge of  physical properties of building materials, fundamentals in building acoustic terminology,  physical parameters of sound, sound field properties, fundamentals in photometry.

Offered to foreign students

Not to offer

Course on BUT site

https://www.vut.cz/en/students/courses/detail/303723

Lecture

13 weeks, 2 hours/week, elective

Syllabus

  • 1. Basic terminology and quantities of building acoustics, sound levels and decibel scale. Soun wave propagation.
  • 2. Noise and its classification-NV č.272/2011 Sb.- about health protection against negative influence of noise and vibrations.
  • 3. Sound propagation in free space. Attenuation of noise in the environment.
  • 4. Assessment of air-borne and impact sound insulation.
  • 5. Watters method for the air-borne sound reduction index.
  • 6. Assessment of structure-borne sound reduction.
  • 7. Architectural acoustics, acoustic absorption. Reverberation time of a room.
  • 8. Daylighting and solar radiation.
  • 9. Insolation diagram and insolation assessment.
  • 10. Daylighting in buildings, sky luminance.
  • 11. Daylight factor evaluation.

Exercise

13 weeks, 1 hours/week, compulsory

Syllabus

  • 1. Basic calculations in the field of acoustics (sound pressure level, etc.).
  • 2. Calculation of sound pressure levels outside the protected space construction.
  • 3. Calculation of reverberation time in the classroom and design of acoustic measures.
  • 4. Calculation of airborne and impact sound insulation graphical numerical method by Watters.
  • 5. Calculation of daylight factor in the classroom.
  • 6. Calculation of insolation entered the living room.