'Screaming dinosaur': new high-rise in Brooklyn makes scary sounds in the wind

In one of the neighborhoods of Brooklyn, there is a brand new 15-story building that creaks on windy days. Residents likened the sound to a shrill whistle, a maddening squeal, and - most colorfully - to a screaming dinosaur standing on the roof of a building. Edition Curbed spoke with an acoustics expert to figure out where these sounds come from and what can be done with them.

The building in question is part of the renovation of the Long Island College Hospital and is owned by the Fortis Property Group. Amanda Sue Nichols of the Cobble Hill Association says residents first heard the grinding sound in January, apparently after some scaffolding was removed. Most likely, this bizarre problem can be solved by "adjusting the balconies."

So what exactly makes the building “sing”? Alan Firstein, an acoustics consultant who owns Acoustilog, says several factors are likely at play here. Firstein pointed to the scale of the building. The tower is a 15-storey project surrounded by low-rise brick buildings. Since this building is one of the tallest in the area, there are no other structures to obstruct the wind.

“So the wind can create the effect you get when you blow over an empty soda bottle,” he said.

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The bottle-cap effect can be created by a series of balconies in the north corner of the building that have latticed railings. Since the wind in New York usually blows from the southwest to the northeast, according to Firstein, "it will pass by these holes." This can cause whistles in every single balcony, and when multiplied by the number, it produces a loud, whirring sound.

Anyway, this is one of the theories. There are other possible locations where wind can vibrate part of a building. In this case, the source of sounds can be difficult to determine due to sound waves bouncing off the surfaces. In addition, so-called standing waves can sometimes form, which can create sound that becomes louder with distance from the source. Such sounds are difficult to predict, says Firstein, and therefore cannot be categorized as building or design errors.

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But they can be fixed. If the balconies are to blame - which can be easily confirmed by measurement and testing - one possible solution might be to install solid railings or some other relatively simple structure that partially disrupts the airflow.

“There are a lot of little tricks you can do to remove or attenuate sound,” Firstein said.

For all the hype these sounds have generated, the potential solution can be pretty straightforward. Fortis, for its part, says it is trying to "resolve this issue as quickly as possible."