The building proposed for Zone T1 (1-3 Canal Street) will be the westernmost building in the whole of Kings Cross Central and stand at the southern end of a wall of high buildings curving round the edge of the development site alongside the high-speed railway line. Immediately south will stand the largest of the retained gas-holder (‘gasometer’ to some), open for play activity but maybe also performances.
Within the one stepped building will be the central energy plant for many buildings, an electrical substation, multi-storey car park for over 400 vehicles, a multi-use indoor games hall, shops, cafes, bars and, last but not least 102 flats. Some flats will command dramatic views over South Camden and Westminster, over the Regents Canal and basin. Other flats will face in on a high altitude planted courtyard.
The Forum’s planning response team didn’t see a lot wrong with the overall design but had anxieties about noise – mainly from the trains on the tracks below. We asked Argent about some of these noise issues and they replied on points we asked about. You will find these, and some other points, in our suggested Response and Argent’s answers to the points we put to them.
Comments are invited up to 24 March, so this matter is urgent It is worth sending comments in late, but get them in as quickly as possible. Note that this application also includes the design of the land around T1 building and an adjoining road for considerable length. Please copy any comments submitted to the Forum
Noise And Vibration Aspects
1. The Challenge
a. Building T1 will be placed within a very noisy environment. The residents and designers face major challenges to make the building habitable. Placed to the North of the Canal and at the East of the site – right next to the high level Eurostar line – and with the ‘ public amenity’ Gas Holder 8 very close to its South East, the T1 building is surrounded by potentially intrusive noise generators. There is only a narrow gap to a major solid (noise reflecting) structure to the immediate East of the T1 building.
b. Added to this, there is a large car park embedded in the – noise porous -West wall of the building, a very large Services Plant module integrated into the whole of the North end and a recreational area punched through the centre. There are 24 wind turbines on the roof. Finally, it is proposed to site a restaurant on the Ground Floor along the East face.
c. The questions to be answered before detailed planning permission is given are:
i. What have the engineers done to make sure that the accommodation is habitable from the noise and vibration point-of-view?
ii. What have the engineers done to make sure that the area around building T1 is acceptable from the noise and vibration point-of-view?
iii. How will they measure that they have been successful in mitigating the noise for residents?
iv. What steps are available WHEN it is found on completion that the design has failed to meet minimum acceptable noise standards for residents?
2. Detailed Concerns
Concerns about noise and vibration need to be considered one by one. Taking each source and each external and internal aspect in turn:
The Railway.
Noise from the railway will affect all the accommodation on the West Face of the building. This only concerns the upper floors but information is required as to the level of noise expected on the lowest occupied level. Detailed information is available from the appeal on the Islington Triangle proposal. If this is to be mitigated by double glazing and using passive venting, information is required as to how this West-facing accommodation is to be cooled and ventilated on a hot summer night, if windows have to be kept shut.
Rail noise will enter the multi-story car park through the porous Western wall. Cars will obviously generate noise within the car park:
· What modelling has been done of the resonance and damping/amplification of noise within these floors?
· What noise will penetrate through the building to the flats on the far (east) side of the building and in the floors above the car park cavity?
· What car noise will reach these flats from the car park?
Rail noise will be reflected from the TI West Wall. Baffles have been added but what noise levels are expected in the existing blocks West of the railway?
The Services Tower
Many floors of the North end of T1 are as Service Tower. This is used to house the major power services for the whole development. A number of potential problems for residents arise:
· What noise will penetrate the domestic accommodation to the South of the Service Tower?
· What noise will penetrate to accommodation above the Service Tower?
· As there is only a narrow gap between building T1 and the building to the East, what noise will be reflected back to the Southern end of T1 from the Service Tower?
The Windmills
It is proposed to mount some 24 wind turbines on the roof of T1.
· What level of noise will be experienced by residents below the wind turbines?
· What noise will be reflected around the open atrium within the top floors?
· What noise will be reflected down the East side of T1 into the gap between it and the building immediately to its East?
Wind Resonance
While the script states that trees and baffles will be used to mitigate the wind velocity with the ‘jaws’ at the Southern end of T1:
· What modelling has been done of the resonance which may build up within the building, in particular in the atrium area within the top floors?
The Sports Area
The open sports area extends right across the middle of the base of the building.
· What is the wind environment is the sports area?
· What direct and indirect noise will the sports area generate in the domestic accommodation?
The Restaurant Area
The restaurant area extends along the eastern face of the base of the building. This is likely to generate considerable noise late at night. This noise may be exacerbated by the tunnel effect up the narrow alley between T1 and the tall structure to its East.
· What direct and indirect noise will the restaurant area generate in the domestic accommodation?
Gas Holder No 8
The proposal is that Gas Holder No8 will be erected close to the South East end of building T1. It is designated for ‘public events’. The general and particularly late-night noise could be a considerable problem for residents living on the East face.
· Why has Gas Holder 8 been designated for public use when a site further East, nearer the commercial area would reduce the noise nuisance to residents of T1
· What proposals are being made IN THE DESIGN to mitigate noise nuisance to the residents of T1?
3. Conclusion
a. The residents living in building T1 will be very vulnerable to noise from all around and within the building. Before detailed planning permission is given for the building reliable information must be made available concerning:
- The standards of noise and vibration being applied to the design
- The assumptions being made as to the level of noise which will be generated around, above and below the residential accommodation. These include the railway, the Gas Holder 8 and the roof wind generators
- The modelling which has been done concerning the transmission of noise within the building from the car park, the service tower, the sports area and the restaurant.
- The modelling which has been done concerning resonance: within the car park, within the roof atrium from wind, in the alley between T1 and the building to the East and from the Sports Area within the building.
- The effect of rail noise reflected from the West wall of T1 on residents living to the East of the rail track.
