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NC-v4 EQc9:Acoustic performance

STC requirement for a Retail area next to a hallway in a medical building

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Todd Bundren
Associate Principal - Director of Sustainabilty
Lawrence Group
LEEDuser Premium Member
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We are working on a new medical buidling (cancer center) and there is a gift shop off a large corridor close to the main entry. The owner wants the wall between the gift shop and the large corridor to be glass. The other three walls are partitions with a min STC above 50. Does the glass wall need to be above a 50 STC if it is adjacent to a large public corridor? We want to provide a visual connection to the retail space; however, don't want to loose this credit if at all possible. All othere occupied spaces in the 500,000+ sf building comply, so loosing the credit for one glass wall would be disappointing.

I really appreciate any feedaback that can be provided!

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Tue, 01/14/2025 - 03:24

For LEED acoustical credits, the main concern is minimizing noise intrusion between occupied spaces. In this case, the glass wall between the gift shop and the large corridor, while offering a visual connection, could potentially impact the acoustical performance. Here’s how it breaks down:
  1. LEED Acoustical Requirements: The LEED credit for acoustic performance typically requires that walls between occupied spaces (including retail spaces) provide a minimum STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating of 50 when adjacent to areas with higher ambient noise levels, like corridors. Since this wall is between a gift shop and a public corridor, it’s likely considered a partition between occupied and public spaces.
  2. Glass Wall Consideration: Glass, by its nature, tends to have a lower STC rating compared to solid walls, especially if it’s a single pane of glass or not specifically rated for sound insulation. For an acoustically sensitive area like a cancer center, you might be able to select acoustically rated glass (such as laminated or double-glazed glass with soundproofing properties) to meet the STC 50 minimum requirement.
  3. Visual Connection vs. Acoustical Performance: While a glass wall provides a visual connection, it may compromise acoustical performance, especially in a space like a retail shop adjacent to a public corridor. If the glass wall does not meet the STC 50 requirement, it could disqualify your acoustical performance credit, which would be unfortunate given the size of the building and the other spaces that comply.
  4. Alternatives:
    • Consider using acoustic-rated glass solutions, which are available and can help maintain the STC rating.
    • Alternatively, you could use solid partitions for the wall but have windows or openings at the top or other parts of the wall to preserve some visual connection.

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