Graduate Acoustics Engineer - London, Oxted
From helping shape entire cities to adapting infrastructure to deal with the climate emergency, a career at Vanguardia (A Buro Happold Company) presents the chance to make a difference. With a world class reputation, our creativity and our people have delivered positive change to clients, the environment, and communities alike. If you want to be part of something bigger, this is your chance.
What is Acoustic Engineering?
Outcome focused design:
‘Reverse engineering’ from the people-centric results our clients want from their stadia and venues, we develop and use the most advanced computational tools to inform our designs. Good examples include the AVIVA Studios, Manchester where we created a mathematical prediction of the response to mounting the building façade on bearings to contain music noise, or at a well-known web giant’s European HQ in central London where we used novel modelling techniques to predict how much colleagues would be distracted by each other’s noise in an open plan office.
Communication:
But it’s not about the tools – our focus is on being able to communicate the results to our clients across key technical areas such as noise break-in, internal sound transmission, reverberation control, building services noise, structural dynamics, audio-visual design, public address and voice alarm, and vibration. A key focus is engagement. An example of this is our work with the prestige gym chain Equinox which often retrofit their facilities inside existing listed buildings.
Our relationship allows us to understand the unique aspirations of each site, and tailor a dynamic, vibration isolation and sound insulation solution to each development based on the specific activities proposed. Another example was the new Faculty of Arts building at Warwick University, where a significant part of our role was simply to listen to the requirements of the different faculties and translate these into the language of engineering solutions.
Challenge:
We’re excited and motivated by the challenging, complex and difficult. Our team loves applying industry-leading innovation on the hardest challenges, from the ultra-high-tech (such as the award-winning Dyson campus and Imperial College Michael Uren buildings) to the curiously unusual (such as the one-of-a-kind architectural form of the Museum of the Future).See our Acoustics discipline page here.
What sort of projects would I work on?
Recent and current projects:
BBC Concert Studios, London, 2017 – ongoing
The new home for the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the world-famous BBC Maida Vale recording studios, this development will provide rehearsal, recording and performance space for some of the world’s most famous and well known artists. Maida Vale studios are historically renowned for recording and broadcasting sessions from legendary acts such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin through to modern megastars such as Amy Winehouse and Ed Sheeran. Buro Happold are the acoustic engineers overseeing the build and the transition into this new world-class home.
Spotify European HQ, Berlin, 2019 – ongoing
When Spotify move into their new European HQ, they naturally want a main performance space which will allow them to host some of the artists they host on their world-famous music streaming platform.
They chose to make the main atrium of their headquarters double as a performance space, and Buro Happold have been engaged to see that this dual-usage can work. A recent focus has been controlling the building services noise so that audiences are not disturbed by ventilation noise.
HOME, Manchester, UK, 2015-2017
HOME is a a flagship multi-media centre for a previously underused area of central Manchester. The development incorporates a cinema, gallery, theatres and expansive café area, offering its audience a cultural experience in the heart of an inner city location, achieving a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating. Buro Happold’s acoustic team were therefore challenged to provide outstanding levels of sound insulation design to both the façades and internal dividing elements such as walls, floors and doors.
The Factory – Manchester, UK, 2017-2023
The Factory is a unique new cultural venue for Manchester. Developed on the former Granada Studios site, the main performance spaces sit over nearby Water Street and its retained historic rail arches. The interconnected performance spaces comprise a large warehouse building that contains a full technical grid and an adjoining, more conventional theatre. The spaces can be subdivided or work in tandem to create a unique spatial and technical backdrop for artists to create and present work.
What would I do?
Sound system design
Sound insulation design
Acoustic surveys, benchmarking and commissioning
Room acoustics design and reverberation control
Venue, performance space and concert hall design
Structural vibration isolation and dynamics
Control of external noise break-in and façade & ventilation design
Audio visual and sound system design
Design and assessment of internal and external building services noise and vibration
Public address and voice alarm design
What degree would I have studied?
Acoustics
Acoustical Engineering
Sound and Vibration studies
Engineering Acoustics
Architecture
Mechanical Engineering
Music Technology
Audio & Broadcast Engineering
Physics
Sound Engineering
Graduates at Buro Happold
When you join Buro Happold you are embedded into an exciting network of engineers and consultants, that supports your career development. We have a Graduate Connect learning programme that targets specific learning and supports your journey to chartership as well as our Young Employee's Forum that links all our young talent in terms of knowledge sharing, learning and very importantly socialising.
We place great importance on a having a safe and inclusive environment and will seek to make any arrangements that may be required to enable all who work with us to thrive. We have flexible working hours and hybrid working, and welcome applications from all backgrounds and walks of life. If you have any questions about how this could apply to your specific circumstances, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
Check out what our YEF Global team thought of their 2024 Global Meet
Please see our Early Careers Candidate Pack for further guidance and information
Application Process
We typically complete shortlisting after the role has closed. Therefore, you can expect to hear from us with 2-4 weeks of the job closing on our website. Should you wish to contact us to find out more information or to get an update, please contact earlycareers@burohappold.com
Please note that this role is for an Autumn 2025 start.
A place for everyone
Buro Happold values an individual's flexible approaches to working patterns as an important part of how you work and achieve balance. We welcome applications from those who are seeking flexibility in their careers.
Our exceptional portfolio of projects is the result of the diversity of thought, identities, backgrounds, and experiences that shape us. Appreciating each other’s differences is key, we want employees to feel they don’t have to mask elements of their identity to thrive.
We are working to change the lack of representation of marginalised groups in the built environment. We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who feels they are underrepresented in the industry. We have much to learn from one another. Embracing differences allows us to develop the most innovative and elegant solutions.
Please let us know if there are any adjustments we could make to the application process to make it easier and more comfortable for you. Contact recruitment@burohappold.com so we can work with you to support you throughout your application.
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