Urban noise prevents more than half of city residents from opening bedroom windows at night. Research showed that just 10dB(A) of additional attenuation would enable 70% of this population to ventilate naturally, improving sleep, wellbeing, and indoor air quality across millions of homes.

To solve this, FISH Innovation developed a “pop-out” window architecture that redirects and attenuates incoming sound while preserving an unobstructed airflow path. Extensive analytical and computational modelling informed the final geometry, which was refined over dozens of design iterations.

A full-scale prototype was installed and demonstrated at Arup’s London headquarters, leading to a commercial partnership with Reynaers Aluminium, who integrated the technology into their Masterline 8 system. Engineering compromises relating to frame and sash depth were required for manufacturability, resulting in a modest performance trade-off.

Independent accredited tests in 2020 showed an additional 8dB(A) of noise attenuation under representative residential conditions, validating both the acoustic concept and user benefit.

This technology took nine years to progress from laboratory concept to market launch, reflecting the complexity of balancing acoustics, airflow, ergonomics, certification, supply chain integration, and architectural acceptance.