HMP Grampian, Peterhead

Acoustic Design and Completion Testing of HMP Grampian and Family Centre

Client: Skanska appointed by Scottish Prison Service

Contractor: Skanska

Project value: £60m

Project team: Richard Mackenzie, Nicola Symington, Eleni Kontesidou

HMP and YOI Grampian, completed in 2013, is a purpose built, new community facing prison designed to house adult males, young offenders and female prisoners. The prison replaces two existing prisons – HMP Peterhead and HMP Aberdeen.

The 550-place prison includes the main building, an adult accommodation block, a young offenders’ block, a female prisoner block, a prisoner services building with education facilities, a gate building and an admin area. HMP and YOI Grampian also include a community reintegration building, which is designed for prisoners who are working towards being released.

RMP acoustic consultants were involved in the design stages of the project to ensure that suitable internal and external amenity, teaching, learning and rehabilitation environments are provided in terms of ambient noise levels, sound insulation and reverberation and building services within the building.

We also undertook acoustic completion testing of the different Houseblocks and shared areas of the facility. Surveys of the sound insulation of walls separating spaces, reverberation times and internal ambient noise levels were undertaken to demonstrate compliance with the project criteria.

Further commissions followed with the HMP Grampian Family Centre which was completed in 2014.