According to WHO, noise pollution is a public health issue. From sleep disorders to cardiovascular conditions, stress, and even a drop in academic and professional performance, the impact of noise pollution is more than just a nuisance. However, little is still being discussed about ways to solve or reduce this problem. Tegra is one of the largest real estate developers in Brazil. Unlike many competitors, it is a company that is truly concerned about ESG. The brand's desire to take its environmental governance project further and establish itself as a pioneer and leader in the construction industry was the starting point for this idea.

So, we gathered a group of companies (architecture and urban planning studios, acoustic engineering firms, product designers, and 3D modelers) and sustainability experts to find alternatives and think of ways to incite the industry and society to discuss our unparalleled noise offsetting concept.

Tegra has used its influence to launch a project that invites the entire construction industry to discuss solutions for noise pollution. With the potential to give rise to a new category of ESG, we created a new concept: noise offsetting. To demonstrate how it works, we designed an interactive tool that cross-references data to:

Calculate the potential noise impact of a construction site on people around it;

Display this impact in a visual and intuitive way;

Quantify this impact in a number measured in NI, a unit of measurement created by us;

Develop and suggest noise offsetting projects that are compatible with the noise generated;

Promote the creation of more projects focused on sound Comfort with architects and engineers;

Contribute to bringing the discussion about the urgency of finding solutions to noise pollution to the industry and society as a whole.

All on a free, intuitive, open, and collaborative website.

The design elements were based on the aesthetics of acoustic studies.

"Noise Footprint" shapes were generatively designed by the Noise Neutral algorithm, using open topographic maps considering the area and levels of surrounding buildings and the distance from the source to define how the noise propagates through space. The final Noise Impact number is calculated considering decibels, number of affected people and the time of exposure - and it's translated into shapes mathematically.

The color code was based on the universal decibel scale, with a color palette that allows a technical gradient for each representation of the intensity of the sound impact.

This generative thought made the project's design pliable enough to generate data visualization, campaign assets, sound impact reports and an aesthetic appeal to build animated how-tos to explain the tool, making the experience more pleasant and the interpretation of the data accessible to all.

Noise Neutral triggered an urgent discussion by introducing the unprecedented concept of noise offsetting and making it accessible for anyone to measure the noise impact of a construction site.

In addition to making the problem measurable for the first time, the project also guides the creation of new offset solutions for cities, with a focus on improving the health and quality of life of their inhabitants.

Since its launch, over 15,000 noise impact calculations have been made and more than 100 offset initiatives were submitted by architects and engineers through the open platform.

Confirming the industry's interest in the proposal, eight other construction companies have already joined the project, and two of them have started developing their first noise offsetting projects.

In the long run, we hope that Noise Neutral will be a collaborative starting point for the development of a new ESG parameter applicable anywhere in the world.

The construction industry in Brazil is gigantic, with over 7 million workers, representing about 7.3% of jobs in the country. Growing at a rate of 2% per year, its expansion also brings inconvenience, especially in large cities where the construction industry is strongest. If we are part of the problem, we need to be part of the solution too.