Introduction

Since the opening of Heathrow Airport in 1948 the number of flights has increased by 5% each year.

To date, Heathrow Airport supports half a million flights and approximately 70 million passengers

per year*.

Heathrow Airport and its local residents have a symbiotic  relationship. However, this relationship is one of love and hate.

Pollution and noise are two of the major concerns of unease and distress for local residents, of which this is a study and visual representation of the latter.

In 2005 the government set current noise restrictions at 57 decibels. Controversially, noise that exceeds this 57 decibel restriction disturbs 258,000 residents of Heathrow**.

This study is focused on uncovering the noise created by the vast network hub that is Heathrow Airport, specifically looking at the sources which create that noise, by breaking down the noises into visual format.

This is achieved by recording noise levels at different

locations in and around the airport

building\boundaries. Every two double page of the book represents one location. The information recorded has also been presented in a visual format in order to communicate the levels of noise.  

To date the UK Civil Aviation Authority record that

(on average) an aeroplane lands at Heathrow every two minutes***. Using this as a rule the noise recordings are two minuets long.

*   UK Civil Aviation Authority, statistics 2008.

**  The Department for Transport,

     Environmental Research and Consultants      

     Department report 2005.

*** Association for Control of Aircraft Noise,              

     survey of 2007.