Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player

sounding off

blog of acoustics, noise, vibration & audio-visual systems

Gymnasium Acoustics | The Multi-Use Problem

Nate Sevener | K-12 Education | September 17th, 2009 | 1 Comment

Gymnasiums often end up being multi-use spaces. Of course, they are used for competitive sporting events, for team practice, recreation, and for Phys Ed classes. But they are also used for school addresses, commencement ceremonies, band and choir concerts, and more. Those with stages are used for musicals, plays, and speaking events. I have been asked to help mitigate acoustical problems more often in gymnasiums than in any other type of school space; possibly more often than in any other type of space, period. And there are almost always two complaints that I hear… (more)

1 Comment |

Space Savers | Acoustical Engineering for Gymnatoriums and Cafetoriums

Tim Koldenhoven | K-12 Education | June 17th, 2009 | Leave A Comment

It certainly isn’t a new idea… How do we maximize our space and minimize our cost without the loss of function? Surely this is the major driver behind ideas like the gymnatorium or the cafetorium. We’ve all seen them, most likely they were in the schools that we attended. They consist of a stage at one end of the room or tucked away in the corner. So, do these budget savers really work like they are supposed to? (more)

Leave A Comment |

My Scarlet Letter | Distractions in the Classroom

Tim Koldenhoven | K-12 Education | May 27th, 2009 | 5 Comments

At Acoustics By Design we talk a lot about standards.  Sometimes, the standards are hidden behind terms like design goals, baseline design, or even ordinances and specifications… But they are all standards. The reality is almost all aspects of our lives are governed by standards; regardless of how well they work or how well we adhere to them, we still use them in decision making. (more)

5 Comments |

Digital Signage Solutions for K-12 Schools

Tim Hamilton | K-12 Education | November 26th, 2008 | Leave A Comment

My wife teaches English to high school freshmen and seniors. It’s a good thing that she’s the one teaching them, because if it were me, I’d probably end up in a mental institution. The hard part about teaching teenagers is finding effective methods of communication. Sometimes it seems like they just don’t understand words. But there are things they do understand. High school teenagers understand images. They understand video. They understand multi-media, multi-sensory communication. This is one of the reasons why we at Acoustics By Design are seeing a significant uptick in Digital Signage system design for K-12 schools. (more)

Leave A Comment |

© Acoustics By Design