How Does Acoustical Absorption Work?
Walk outside on a cold winter day just after the first big snowfall and you can hear the hush in the air. Everything sounds different because that hush in the air is the snow absorbing sound. Now, compare that to walking into a gym where the sound bounces around and lingers in the room. Also, have you wondered why some hotel rooms are “soundproof” and some seem to have walls that are paper thin? (more)
Acoustical Solutions for Cafetoriums and Gymnatoria
Multi-use school facilities (such as “cafetoriums” – cafeterias that double as auditoriums) are popping up all over Michigan because they save space and save money. But many schools are finding that they are not well-suited to serve multiple purposes. So how can multi-use facilities be optimized for both utility (think cafeteria) and performance (think auditorium)? (more)
Is It Really Sound Proof? Mixed Use Developments
Mixed use developments need to have the proper noise isolation partitions and the proper expectations for tenants. “I can hear their music and their phone ringing; I can even hear them repeat the order!” This comment came from a frustrated condo owner who lived above a sandwich shop in a mixed used condominium development. High density living often crashes with commercial spaces, and usually it is the residential owners that end up frustrated. (more)
I recently attended concerts at two out-of-state prestigious university level music schools, and from a noise control point of view, the auditoria couldn’t have been more different. While the room acoustics of both halls were superb, the background noise level in one was quite distracting. (more)
The other day at a popular chain restaurant, I dropped by the restroom before a long ride home. I’ve heard some loud toilet flushes in my day, and this one was right up there with the loudest of them. While it caught my attention, it didn’t make me jump too high out of surprise. However, when I saw a young girl coming out of the neighboring stall, she had a look of shock on her face. She said, “That SCARED me!” Not something I would think most businesses want to do to their customers. (more)
LEED for Healthcare Acoustic Points
The new LEED for Healthcare system allows up to two points for acoustics under the IEQ Credit 2 Acoustic Environment. Its intent is to “provide building occupants with an indoor healing environment free of intrusive or disruptive levels of sound.” Points can be earned by meeting requirements for increased sound isolation between rooms, reduced room noise levels, controlled reverberation time (acoustical finishes), and reduced site exterior noise. (more)
Evidence Based Design for Healthcare Acoustics
In their November 2010 issue, Healthcare Design Magazine published an article entitled, “Too Noisy to Heal,” written by Dr. Erica Ryherd of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Ryherd lays out a clear case for the importance of acoustical design in healthcare facilities. She uses the term “soundscape” because healthcare acoustical consulting is so much more than just reducing unwanted noise. At Acoustics By Design, we couldn’t agree more. (more)
Optimizing Church Sanctuary Acoustics for Congregational Singing
I recently received a call from a pastor asking how to enhance their congregational singing. The church had recently inherited a new building, and the pastor was concerned that the congregational singing was just not “what it should be”. The band was great, and they rocked the place out. But the congregation was feeling a bit overwhelmed and “lost in the crowd”. (more)
No Oral Privacy at the Doctor’s Office?
Recently, I visited a healthcare facility to talk with them about oral privacy related to HIPAA privacy requirements. As we toured the facility they shared the following story: (more)
How People Discover Acoustical Engineering
I admit that I like working in a niche field. I especially like the reactions of people who ask me what I do for a living and have never heard of an acoustics engineer. They find it amazing that someone does this type of work, or they start asking questions or making comments about some experience they have had with (usually poor) acoustics. Recently, on my way to an acoustics conference, I crossed the border at Detroit’s Ambassador Bridge, which is the busiest US-Canadian crossing… (more)
Noise Isolation for Church Cry-Rooms
Most parents will tell you that they just wish they could understand why their baby is crying. As cute as babies are, the reality is they can be immensely distracting during church worship services. So what can you do about it? (more)
Say What? Acoustics for College Cafeterias and Social Spaces
I was recently interviewed by College Planning & Management magazine for their article on “How schools can create cafeterias and other social spaces to shout about, not over?” These spaces are where university students come to dine, to study, to relax, and to socialize, so why are they always so loud? And more importantly, what can be done to optimize these spaces for sound? Read the full article here http://www.peterli.com/cpm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=2616.
Restaurant Noise – A Big Deal to Food Critics
Over the years we’ve used this blog to try and get the word out that acoustics can be very important when designing a restaurant and that the assistance of a qualified acoustical consultant during the design phase will save the proprietor both time and money while ensuring the ambience is top notch. So just how important is acoustics in a restaurant? I spent a little time looking around at recent restaurant reviews in Chicago and Detroit to see what I could find… do the critics notice? (more)
American Disabilities Act to Accommodate Hearing-Impaired Students
The phrase “Equal Access” might not be very exciting, but it represents what many perceive to be a fundamental right of modern society. Every building built in the last 20 years has personified “Equal Access” by including doors wide enough for a wheelchair, elevator signage with braille lettering for blind persons, and auditoriums with hearing assist systems for those hard of hearing. While children in wheelchairs have “Equal Access to Learning” in school classrooms today, those with hearing difficulties are denied the same opportunity. In many classrooms, the students cannot hear the teacher due to the loud mechanical system or the nearby airport. And, if they can’t hear, they can’t learn. But that’s all about to change. (more)
Not All Acoustical Surfaces Are Created Equal
The orchestra that I play in used to perform at local public schools. The high school auditoria that we regularly used were so-so for acoustics, but we learned to appreciate them when a scheduling conflict bumped us to a junior high school for one concert. This auditorium ceiling was treated with a spray-on absorbing material that made it feel like we were playing into a sonic black hole. After we finished, it sounded like twenty people were clapping, which I hope there were more…maybe not if they couldn’t hear us. (more)
In an effort to be inspired, I happen to be writing this blog from my hotel room so it seems perfectly fitting that I write today about Hotel Room Noise Isolation. This is a bit of a tricky topic because there is a whole range of expectations that exist between the one or two star roadside motel and the 4-star hotel that I am currently staying in courtesy of our firm’s thriftiness and a sweet deal from hotwire.com. Of course, nobody checks into a hotel expecting to get a poor night of sleep regardless of the quality or star rating of the establishment. (more)
Video Blog | Healthcare Acoustics Nightmare
This is a fictional video we made to illustrate the many problems of acoustics, noise, and vibration in modern healthcare facilities. It shows why hospitals and health care facilities need acoustical engineers. © 2010, Acoustics By Design.
Reflections at Little Beaver Lake
On a beautiful autumn day a long time ago, I was on a glorious backpacking trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. One still morning while rinsing off in Little Beaver Lake, I was alarmed to hear voices that sounded very near, as I was sporting my birthday suit. After quickly sinking into the water up to my neck, I searched for the people and to my relief found them on the opposite shore of the small lake, out of “detailed sight” range. That was a memorable lesson in how well water reflects sound. (more)
The Top 5 Acoustical Challenges of Church Video Venues
Church video venues are popping up everywhere. For many churches, they have become the go-to solution for solving the growth “problem”, which of course is a good problem to have. Church video venues are great for a number of reasons: they can offer an alternative worship music experience, they can keep a church unified by offering the same video sermon (live or recorded) to multiple venues, they can be a terrific option for landlocked churches, and much more. But what about the acoustics? What are some of the most pressing acoustical challenges of church video venues? (more)
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