The project for the Tourism and Hospitality Training College is part of the creation of a major new facility dedicated to training in the tourism and hospitality industries in Réunion. With a planned capacity of 522 students and a floor area of 22,142 m², the project brings together in a single complex classrooms, a dormitory, a training hotel, dining areas, sports facilities, and staff housing.
The acoustic challenges were therefore multifaceted: ensuring optimal learning conditions, preserving quiet zones for rest, controlling noise from technical equipment, and protecting the surrounding neighborhood. The project also faced a significant constraint due to its overseas location and the decision to prioritize natural ventilation, which required a careful balance between user comfort, regulatory requirements, and the practical realities of space utilization.
We worked with the project team to develop the acoustic study for the facility and translate the program’s requirements into clear technical objectives. Our scope of work included exterior noise insulation, sound insulation between rooms, impact noise, interior acoustic treatment, noise from mechanical and electrical systems, and noise protection for the surrounding neighborhood.
We defined the target performance levels for walls, floors, partitions, window frames, acoustic ceilings, and networks, as well as the design principles for HVAC systems, kitchen equipment, and anti-vibration supports.
The analysis covered the project’s most sensitive areas – classrooms, dorm rooms, training hotel rooms, the restaurant, kitchens, offices, lobbies, and technical spaces – with a particular focus on the impact of natural acoustic ventilation on the expected actual performance.
Our involvement established a coherent acoustic framework for a complex project, providing the client and the project manager with a clear understanding of the objectives to be achieved, potential deviations, and design solutions to be incorporated from the very beginning. This approach helped ensure sound technical decisions in a context where regulatory standards from mainland France had to be adapted to the climatic conditions and usage patterns of Réunion Island.
By clarifying the performance targets for each type of space and identifying specific cases related to the opening of facades and louvered windows, we helped preserve the acoustic comfort of the dormitory and the training hotel, the quality of use of the teaching spaces, and the control of technical disturbances. The project was also publicly presented by the Réunion Region as a future landmark facility for the territory, with a projected timeline extending through 2029.
