Morgan Sindall Construction has celebrated a major milestone at the University of Salford’s new acoustics lab, marking the topping out of the building as the project progresses well into its structural phase
The ceremony marks a significant moment in the construction of the state-of-the-art acoustics lab, delivered under an £18 million contract.
It forms a centrepiece of Crescent Innovation, a regeneration partnership between Salford City Council, the University of Salford, and ECF (Muse, L&G, and Homes England) that will deliver over 1.7m2 ft of world-class research and business space. Completion of the facility is scheduled for mid-2027.
Claire Lomax, acoustics laboratory director at the University of Salford, commented: “This is a one-of-a-kind building for the worldwide acoustics discipline, and it’s amazing to see our ideas beginning to become reality.
“It will offer a unique opportunity for acoustics research and industrial partnerships that will make a real difference to lives. We can’t wait to get the keys.”
The urgency of acoustics research in a noise-polluted world
Timed to coincide with Noise Action Week (11–15 May), the UK’s national campaign highlighting noise as a serious public health issue, the facility reflects the growing urgency of acoustics research.
The World Health Organization identifies noise as the second most harmful environmental pollutant after air pollution, with long-term exposure linked to cardiovascular disease, sleep disturbance and cognitive impairment.
The University of Salford has been at the forefront of this field for over 60 years, and the new acoustics facility represents its latest investment in that capability.
University of Salford’s acoustics lab marks a new era in sound measurement
The university is already home to some of the quietest rooms in the world. An anechoic chamber is specially engineered to absorb virtually all sound, making it capable of ultra-precise measurements, picking up sounds as faint as the hum of a computer fan or an insect crawling across the floor.
The University of Salford’s acoustics lab will expand on this capability, centred around a vast triple-height space with vibration-isolating foundations and extra-dense concrete walls creating several idealised acoustic environments insulated from external noise. It will include a perception engineering sleep laboratory to understand how noise affects rest and recovery, a four-chamber Building Environment Testing Suite to measure how well modern construction materials protect people from external noise, and the capacity to provide acoustic testing of anything from electric vehicles to loudspeaker stacks and emergency workers’ communications systems.
The facility will also host the UK’s Designated Institute for Airborne Acoustics Metrology, making it the national reference point for airborne sound measurement.
A major milestone in the facility’s construction phase
Since breaking ground in November 2025, Morgan Sindall has progressed through a substantial programme of enabling and substructure works. Ground remediation, piling, and foundation works have been completed, bringing the project to the stage where the steel frame is erected, metal decking is installed, the first-floor slab is poured, and the gantry crane is put in place.
“Science and technology are a major driver of economic growth in the UK, and this remarkable building is a step change that will make a significant contribution to that capability,” said Steven Gregory, north west area director, Morgan Sindall Construction.
“The project is also a testament to the University of Salford’s vision of building on the world-class strengths it already has in acoustics research, and we are very proud to be involved.”
Max Bentham, director of development management at ECF, added: “The continued progress on the new acoustics building marks another significant step forward in the creation of Crescent Innovation – and a powerful demonstration of how our masterplan vision is becoming reality.
“This is where ambition meets delivery; a real building, taking shape on site, that embodies everything Crescent Salford is about: bringing industry and education together in world-class spaces.”
What will the next six months at the site look like?
Over the next six months, the Morgan Sindall team will complete the ground floors and excavate the specially designed pits that will house the acoustic testing chambers.
The building will then be fully enclosed, with upper and lower roof levels installed alongside solar panels, external cladding, windows and ventilation louvres. Inside, a specialist acoustic contractor will lay floating floors mounted on acoustic bearings, a key technique for eliminating vibration, while the thick, heavy-walled chambers at the heart of the building will be constructed and sealed with solid concrete lids to create the ultra-controlled acoustic environments the facility requires.
The University of Salford’s acoustics building represents the latest collaboration between the university and Morgan Sindall, which has also delivered the Science, Engineering and Environment Building (SEE Building) and the North of England Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC) on the campus in recent years.
Turbocharging growth with low-carbon buildings
The site forms part of the University’s Campus Connectivity Plan (CCP), which is the major redevelopment of its research, teaching and public spaces. The University is a partner in the wider Crescent Salford Masterplan, along with Salford City Council and ECF.
The Crescent Salford regeneration is a key project within Greater Manchester’s Central Growth Cluster – one of the city region’s six Growth Locations, where investment is being targeted to turbocharge growth.
In line with the latest sustainability standards, the new all-electric Acoustics Building will target a minimum BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’, utilising low-energy and low-carbon technologies to minimise energy consumption and reduce the building’s carbon footprint.
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