The influence of acoustic standards in construction: a case study of social housing in Argentina

SAEZ, VANESA; GARZÓN, B.; GUILLEN-GUILLAMON, IGNACIO

Valencia

Congreso; III International Architecture Research Biennial of Valencia; 2022

VIBRArch

Exposure to high noise levels greatly impacts human health. For this reason, it is necessaryto take into account the acoustic conditioning of built interior spaces, since human beings spend a largepart of their time in them. To this end, each country must regulate and promote good construction practicesthat guarantee the mental and physical comfort of its occupants. In the case of Argentina, there is aninsufficiency in the development of laws and regulations on acoustic architecture and even more so onacoustics in homes. In this sense, this study aims to evaluate the current acoustic comfort presented bypublic housing in Argentina, highlighting the existing legal gaps, and enabling recommendations in thisregard, taking Spain as the country of reference. This country is taken since Argentine legislation hastraditionally replicated European and Spanish standards instead of American ones. To this end, asystemic review and comparison are made between the laws and architectural acoustic regulations ofArgentina and Spain. The observation of the noise protection standards in closed areas of these countrieswill be deepened. For a better understanding of these and to meet the objective, a prototype of publichousing was needed in different parts of the country through the PRO.CRE.AR plan is taken as a casestudy and verified according to each standard. IRAM and UNE. As a relevant result, it is shown that thehouses built by the State only partially verify the admissible minimums proposed by the regulations. Thelack of laws and complementary documents focused on acoustic conditioning is concluded through thecase study.