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)
Several weeks ago, a client invited me to a rehearsal in their highly reverberant space that ABD was hired to test and correct. I declined, as I already had plans to attend a play that evening at a different facility, and joked that during the performance I’d also be listening to sirens from the main street outside the theater. Nearly every time we attend a performance in this space, we hear sirens going by the building. Sure enough, on cue in Act II, “errrrrreeeeeerrrrrhhh” slices into the hall. My husband and I shake our heads. This is why sound isolation of performance spaces from outside noise intrusion is so important. (more)
Student Housing Acoustics – Noise in the Dormitory
Let’s play word association… Ready? Go: Academic… College… University… Higher Education… Acoustics! Did you picture the big wood paneled lecture hall filled with hundreds of students engaged in a lecture about world history, literature, or archeology? Yeah, me too… or at least that what I used to picture. (more)
Mechanical Background Sound in Exam Rooms
January 2010 held a highly anticipated milestone for acoustical consultants. The definitive guide called 2010 FGI/ASHE Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities has a greatly expanded acoustics section in this year’s edition. How will you deal with the new noise, privacy, and acoustical requirements for healthcare facilities? Join us at SoundHealthcare 2010, a Health Care Acoustics Training Seminar, and find out what you must know about the new FGI Guidelines for HIPAA Compliance and LEED HC. This is a brand new chapter in the 2010 FGI Guidelines, which went from a solitary partition transmission loss table in prior issues to an eighty page guideline that comprehensively covers exterior noise, acoustical finishes, background noise, sound isolation, vibration, sound masking systems, audio systems and alarms. As a result, acoustical consultants are hoping that architects and engineers will appreciate the breadth and importance of acoustics and consequently incorporate acoustical design early in a project when it is most cost effective. (more)
Anechoic Chambers – What They’re All About
So what in the world are anechoic chambers? In short, they are the consultant’s and manufacturer’s best friend when it comes to acoustics. Anechoic chambers are primarily used for a variety of acoustical measurements that determine just how much noise a product is making. These chambers are most notable for their strange appearance… their foam filled walls, ceilings, and sometimes floors of spikes look a bit like a Nerf torture chamber; if you filled them with plastic balls they’d be a hit attraction at your local Chuck E Cheese. But alas the soft spikes are not meant for harm or play but rather to absorb as much sound as possible, so that you can measure the true sound emitted or reflected off of whatever noise source you are interested in. (more)
How to Gradually Reduce Employee Noise Exposure
Industrial plants are most often loud and dynamic work environments. Noise fields are complex with varying levels of noise produced by many different pieces of equipment, and employees spend varying amounts of time near the different noise sources. Sound levels are even impacted by the building, with taller spaces generally quieter than single story spaces, sound absorbing room finishes sucking up some of the noise, and partitions blocking sound. Measuring worker noise exposure is simple. (more)
Acoustics from the Ancient Amphitheatre to the Modern Arena
In the days of the ancient Romans, crowds would gather by the thousands in the amphitheater to see a wide range of events: public ceremonies honoring brave soldiers, performances of dramatic presentations, or the gruesome games of the gladiators. Although the events were a visual extravaganza, the amphitheater and coliseum were also designed acoustically to allow the entire audience to hear. Fast forward two thousand years, and we still gather in large groups to see college graduations, rock concerts, sporting events, and more. Two of the primary senses that are titillating to the large masses still remain the same: visual and aural stimulation. (more)
Healthcare Study Links Noise to Patient Satisfaction
For years, the healthcare industry has used patient satisfaction surveys to gauge hospital performance and to identify ways for improving the healing environment. And the industry’s standard surveyor, Press Ganey Satisfaction Surveys, has always shown the number one patient complaint to be “noise in or around the room.” As acoustical consultants, we know that noise plays an important role in patient and staff satisfaction, but measuring just how much of an affect has always been difficult. Until now. (more)
An Opportunity Lost? GM’s Saturn Division – Success Squandered or Just Delayed?
Early in my career, I was a young acoustics engineer working at the General Motors “Noise and Vibration Laboratory” (NVL) where our function was to provide automotive noise and vibration control solutions to the various vehicle development teams. At one point, my job was to lead the design and development of the noise control (“Sound Package”) solutions for the original Saturn vehicle line. So when I saw the recent news about Roger Penske & Penske Automotive Group acquiring the Saturn brand from General Motors, I found myself thinking back on the glory days of Saturn: what made them so unique, and what solutions will bring them through the current economic recession? (more)
The Varying Acoustical Needs of Churches
Some acoustical environments are straightforward in purpose. A movie theatre, for example, needs to project the sound of the movie with precision and clarity to all seats in the house. Most acoustical environments, however, have varying needs which are dependent on their content and delivery, and the Church is no exception. Today’s churches use a wide variety of forms of aural communication – drama, dance, video, soloists, choirs, the spoken word, and so on. But by far, the two most prominent aural elements in church services are music and the spoken word; two elements that require vastly different (and somewhat conflicting) acoustical environments. Today we will explore the optimal environments for both. (more)
Acoustics, Patient Care, and The Healing Environment
The healthcare industry is booming and your healthcare costs are rising, so what do you get out of it? Well, besides higher monthly premiums and insurance costs, you do get one thing: choice. You have the freedom to choose between everything from primary care providers to hospitals to outpatient clinics to rehabilitation centers. And this choice is driving up the competition between healthcare providers causing them to place a higher priority on, well – you – getting you and keeping you as a loyal customer, uhm… I mean patient. (more)
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