Drapery and felted wall treatments that muffle and absorb sound can offer noise abatement benefits in dense urban developments. Photo courtesy of Planeta Design Group

Living in vibrant bustling cities affords many of us a 24/7 lifestyle filled with entertainment, sports, dining and shopping. City living also means traffic, public transportation and people just enjoying an active lifestyle. 

The addition of more people making the decision to work from home, or recently required to work from home in response to COVID-19, means that apartments in the city require extra attention to mitigate outside noise. Creating quiet spaces within a city residence includes separating work from living. This is certainly the case when two people are working on their laptops while on the infamous conference call and their children are being homeschooled. The challenge of creating better soundproofing in homes is critical.  

Multi-unit residential buildings in cities like Boston create even more challenges in developing the correct noise abatement strategies that are integral to the interior design process and build-out. Planeta Design Group has worked extensively in multifamily residential buildings, both luxury rental apartments and condominiums. Here are some examples that we have taken to abate excess noise through creative design solutions. 

In a luxury condominium in the Seaport, the owners wanted a modern-day tearoom as a respite from the main living and dining area. In addition to isolating this space from an all-glass wall overlooking the bustling harbor, we designed a stepped platform with the interior walls covered in a sumptuous leather to help absorb the sound while adding an acoustical treatment. It became a quiet destination within the residence’s living area.  

Since we had an open floor plan to work with, we designed a curvilinear wall to separate the master bedroom and sitting room from the living space. Our firm used acoustical plaster as the wall finish to both soften and absorb sound.  

All of the flooring materials had a specific floor build with an extra membrane layer installed before any finished floor material was added to block sound transmission between units. 

Lastly, custom-made acoustical surround boxes were made for audio speakers in the ceilings, to keep sound in the unit and not transfer vibrations or noise through the plenum from unit to unit. 

Patrick Planeta

Combine Noise Abatement, Energy Savings 

In single-family homes, we use materials such as Brombal triple-paned windows, not only for energy efficiency but also to help block exterior noise. In Bower, our newest apartment complex in the Fenway neighborhood, we are using dimensional wood paneling, perforated decorative ceilings and a variety of textured wall applications to absorb sound. These examples are brought to the table through our knowledge of recording studio design: Flat, hard and straight surfaces are counterproductive when trying to harness sound.  

Other examples that Planeta Design Group incorporates into our designs include: 

• Metal studs to the building’s deck or staggered with insulation infill and full–height drywall 
• Use of fabric–wrapped ceiling panels with acoustical infill to capture sound  
• Use of drapery materials to muffle and absorb sound and create spaces instead of the standard traditional drywall implementation  
• Use of felted wall treatments in creative patterns to soften sounds and bounce back  
• Gym floors on springs or raised platforms to dampen sounds between spaces below and above 
• Drop–down door sweeps on doors for quiet areas to omit sound travel 
• Acoustical plaster on surfaces to absorb sound. 

Every home we design, either on the ground or high in the sky, is based on the individual owner’s specifications, but with multifamily work, we have to think well in advance and work with the developer to incorporate sound mitigation strategies. So many of these design challenges require advance planning and an integrated approach for a successful and soundproof home. 

Patrick Planeta is principal at Boston-based Planeta Design Group.