Ambient Noise Map Wins the AAAC HVT Award!

The Hugh Vivian Taylor (HVT) Award, presented by the Association of Australasian Acoustical Consultants (AAAC), is one of the most prestigious honours in the acoustics profession across Australia and New Zealand. Named after a pioneering acoustical consultant, it recognises exceptional achievement in the field, awarding projects or work that demonstrate innovation, technical excellence, and meaningful advancement of industry practice. It is widely regarded as the highest benchmark for quality and impact in acoustic consulting.

Winning the HVT Award signals that a firm or project sits at the very top of the profession, standing out among leading consultancies in a highly specialised and technically rigorous field. It carries significant credibility with clients, regulators, and peers, and is often associated with work that sets new standards or influences how acoustics is applied in real-world environments.

For 2025, the Ambient Noise map won the AAAC HVT Award completed by the Ambient team at Virid AU Pty Ltd. The following is an extract from the Acoustics Australia journal, March 2026:

AAAC News The AAAC held its Annual General Meeting at the Rydges Esplanade, Fremantle. It was attended by a healthy number of member representatives who shared laughs, beer, wine, and their exciting Acoustic stories for the year. The 2025 version of the Hugh Vivian Taylor award had a healthy four entrants. A big congratulations to ViridAU Pty Ltd for taking out the 2025 Hugh Vivian Taylor Award with their truly groundbreaking project: Australia’s first national transport noise map! This landmark achievement, delivered on behalf of Ambient Maps, places Australia alongside world leaders by producing a comprehensive 3D map of road, rail, and aircraft noise for every local government area nationwide, covering over 15 million buildings at an unprecedented level of detail. Virid’s innovative approach not only integrates data across all major transport modes but also sets a new benchmark in environmental modelling, public health, and urban planning. The team’s dedication to peer-reviewed, open-access datasets has empowered researchers, planners, property professionals, and everyday Australians with actionable insights on noise exposure, health, and quality of life. A huge well done to the talented team led by Ben Hinze, Wei Tang, and Janos T. with Ambient Maps and congratulations for beating an impressive field including entries from Marshall Day Acoustics, Arup, and WSP in Australia. This national noise map is already driving new research, cross-industry collaboration, and public value that will shape the future of Australian cities for years to come.