Course detail

Acoustics and Daylighting

FAST-BHB011Acad. year: 2026/2027

The course presents fundamentals in room acoustics and daylighting in buildings. Knowledge of this subject will be practically used for the following study - in seminars, projects and bachelor degree projects.

Language of instruction

Czech, English

Number of ECTS credits

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

prof. Ing. Jitka Mohelníková, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Building Structures (PST)

Offered to foreign students

Of all faculties

Entry knowledge

Fundamentals in building constructions, fundamentals in physics, Acoustics and Optics.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Final evaluation on basis of consulted and completed reports and passed exam. Classification according to ECTS degree at the BUT Brno.

Extent and forms are specified by guarantor’s regulation updated for every academic year.

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 bachelor's theses.

Study aids

Ficker, T. Handbook of building thermal technology, acoustics and daylighting: Příručka stavební tepelné techniky, akustiky a denního osvětlení. Brno: CERM, 2004. ISBN 80-214-2670-5.

Rindel, J.H. Room acoustic measurement methods in the past, present and future, including the importance of the ISO 3382 series. Baltic-Nordic Acoustics meeting BNAM2024, Espoo, 2024, 1-10. Available online: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://odeon.dk/pdf/C155-Rindel_BNAM2024.pdf

Ginn, K.B. Architectural Acoustics, Brüel & Kjær, Naerum, Denmark, 1978. Available online: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.bksv.com/media/doc/bn1329.pdf

Bork, I. Report on the 3rd Round Robin on Room Acoustical Computer Simulation – Part II: Calculations, Acta Acustica/Acustica 91, 2005, 753-763.

Majoros, A. Daylighting. PLEA Notes, Note 4. Kenmore, 1998. Available online: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.plea-arch.org/wp-content/uploads/PLEA-Note-4-Daylighting-lowre.pdf

EN 17037:2018 Daylight in Buildings

ISO 717-1:2020 Acoustics — Rating of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements — Part 1: Airborne sound insulation.

ISO 717-2 :2020 Acoustics — Rating of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements. Part 2: Impact sound insulation.

ISO 12354-1:2017 Building acoustics — Estimation of acoustic performance of buildings from the performance of elements. Part 1: Airborne sound insulation between rooms.

ISO 12354-2:2017 Building acoustics — Estimation of acoustic performance of buildings from the performance of elements. Part 2: Impact sound insulation between rooms.

ISO 3382-2:2008 Acoustics — Measurement of room acoustic parameters.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Not applicable.

Type of course unit

Lecture

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

prof. Ing. Jitka Mohelníková, Ph.D.

Syllabus

Acoustics:

1. Sound waves, sound field. Acoustics and physiology, basic notions, sound levels and loudness.
2. Sound measurement, frequency band, frequency band analysis, noise report, hygienic limits.
3. Urban acoustics, noise attenuation.
4. Room acoustics, diffuse sound field, sound field.
5. Absorptive constructions, membranes and oscillating plates, Helmholtz resonators. Sound insulation, rating of air-born and structure-born sound insulation.
6. Air-born sound insulation, Watter’s method. Impact sound insulation of building constructions.

Daylighting:

7. Solar radiation, insolation, requirements for insolation.
8. Light and photometry. Methods of evaluation of daylighting in buildings, Daniljuk’s nomograms.
9. Waldram’s diagram, BRS nomograms, average daylight factor.
10. Daylight simulation software.
11. Summary, importance of acoustics, daylighting and insolation for building design.

Exercise

26 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

prof. Ing. Jitka Mohelníková, Ph.D.

Syllabus

Acoustics:

1. Introduction, sound waves, octave bands, frequences.
2. Sound pressure, power and intensity levels.
3. Equivalent noise level, noise histogram.
4. Noise reduction due to distance, green bushes and walls. Noise reduction due to wide barrier.
5. Reverberation time of a room. Recommendations for the room finishings because of the reverberation time reduction.
6. Air-borne sound insulation of a building construction. Sound reduction index of a simple wall determined according to the Watter’s method.
7. Impact-sound insulation of a building construction.

Daylighting:

8. Assessment of a building insolation, shading diagram.
9. Evaluation of a room daylighting with Daniljuk’s nomograms.
10. Daylight simulation in software BuildingDesign.
11. Preliminary report of noise, insolation and daylight conditions in a selected building.

VUT

Faculties and university institutes

Parts

Acoustics and Daylighting

Type of course unit