Sick of Loud and Noisy Patient Rooms? We Are Too.
You don’t have to spend a lot of time in hospitals to find out that patients are sick of the noise in their rooms. Press Ganey surveys, current literature on the subject, and the unsolicited comments we receive while measuring sound levels in hospitals all confirm that patients are most often displeased with the noise experienced in hospital patient rooms. Minimizing noise disturbance to patient rooms is an important aspect of acoustical design for healthcare facilities. But before we can reduce the noise levels, we need to know the sources of noise and understand the factors that influence its transmission. (more)
Why Your Conference Room Technology May Soon Be Obsolete: Part II
As the VGA connector continues its rapid transition towards obsolescence (referred to in Part I of this post) many people simply assume that using adapters (such as HDMI to VGA) will solve the digital-to-analog connectivity problem. While this may work in the short term, it ignores the looming problem of DRM (Digital Rights Management), a way of encrypting new media to protect against copyright infringement. DRM uses something called HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) to control which devices are allowed to receive the video signal. So how will you know if you’re using digitally protected content? Well, for starters, your adapter will just stop working. (more)
Noise Pollution from Wind Energy – Why It’s a Problem!
With today’s heightened awareness about energy and our dependence on foreign oil, we are being lured with a promise of bountiful, cheap electricity if we simply harvest the energy from the wind. As is true with everything in life, “there is no such thing as a free lunch”. Communities across the country are learning from past mistakes (the hard way) that one of the greatest struggles with wind turbine development is in community noise disturbances – or noise pollution. So, what can be done about it? (more)
Why Your Conference Room Technology May Soon Be Obsolete
You can’t get away from the digital age. It seems like digital technology is everywhere. As Audio-Video designers, the march towards all things digital is having an impact on display technologies as well. Meanwhile, flying under the radar, there is a subtle shift happening in how the average person shows information from a computer onto a projector or display. (more)
The Problem with Pulpers | Noise and Vibration Control
We were recently called in to assist in addressing a noise issue that was the result of a university’s desire to be more “green”. In this case, we were asked to assess the noise produced in the dish wash room of a university student union. This blog is the second of a two-part post about student union acoustics, and you may want to read the first blog on College Campuses and Student Union Acoustics before continuing. (more)
My Scarlet Letter | Distractions in the Classroom
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)
How LEED V3 Changes Everything
It’s official! The all new LEED Version 3 has been launched by the U.S. Green Building Council. The new system makes several big changes that affect everyone from architects and engineers to builders and building owners. This information is especially important if you are working on a LEED project or if you are a LEED Accredited Professional. Here are some of the initial updates at a glance: (more)
How Green Design Can Save You Some Green $$$
It seems like every project that comes across my desk has a stated goal of attaining some level of LEED Certification (LEED Silver, Gold, Platinum, whatever). We’re talking K-12 schools, universities, healthcare facilities, churches – they’re all “going green.” But how much does all this stuff cost? And can green design really save you some green $$$? (more)
2009 AIA Grand Valley Honor Award Winners
This past Saturday night we attended the 2009 AIA Grand Valley Honor Awards program at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts (UICA) in downtown Grand Rapids. As a Professional Affiliate Member of the AIA, our firm serves as consultants to architects. Although we are not eligible to receive an award, we look forward to the chance to support our friends and celebrate their accomplishments in architecture over the last year. In addition, Acoustics By Design was pleased to be the acoustical and audio/video design consultants for six of the nominated projects! The real surprise of the night was that the independent judges panel, made up of three distinguished architects from Iowa, declined to give out awards in several categories. (more)
The Acoustical Stimulus Package
Whether you’re a fan or not, Obama’s economic stimulus package passed recently, opening the door to gobs of government money (ie: your tax dollars at work) being pumped into the economy. So where do acoustics fit into the puzzle? Well, they’re becoming a key piece. To use an analogy from the car industry, acoustical design used to be viewed as a “Cadillac” service in the world of architecture and engineering. That is, acoustics were seen as an expensive add-on for only the most affluent clients. Not so anymore. 2009 is ushering in a new era of green building practices with acoustical design as a key and indispensable design element for buildings. And as the popularity of architectural acoustics increases, so do its funding and its benefits. (more)
As long as you haven’t been living in a cave this past year, you’ve probably noticed that America’s new favorite color is green. Even the “big, scary corporations,” like Walmart and McDonalds, have re-worked their ad campaigns to reflect a more-green, environmentally friendly corporate image. Seemingly everyone is going green. The term “greenwashing” has come to describe businesses that project a green corporate image (through ad campaigns, marketing, and so on) but take little action to reduce their own carbon footprint or energy consumption. They are “green” in name only. At the same time, some organizations are embracing a new paradigm of green business practices and sustainability. So, who’s really “green” and who’s just “greenwashing?” (more)
LEED for Healthcare to be Adopted in 2009
The LEED Green Building Rating SystemTM is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED was created by the U.S. Green Building Council to define “green building” through a common standard, and to promote integrated, whole-building design practices. There are several categories of LEED building certification programs including: LEED for New Construction, LEED for Existing Buildings, LEED for Schools, and LEED for Retail, just to name a few. And as of last week, the U.S.G.B.C. announced plans to adopt a new LEED category in 2009: Healthcare. (more)
Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in State College, Pennsylvania isn’t just the first LEED Certified ballpark in the world – it’s the only one (to date). Known as “The Med”, the new ballpark raises the bar in “green” sports facility design in several areas: water conservation, waste management, and recycled materials. Acoustics By Design first learned of the ballpark’s achievement while attending the MAPPA conference at the Monona Terrace Convention Center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Madison, Wisconsin. (more)
It’s interesting to watch the broader culture around us as it adapts to new ideas and theories. The “Green” concept (the idea that we need to take care of the environment, reduce our carbon footprint, save energy, etc.) really isn’t new at all, but the mounting “buzz” around the word certainly is. When I was growing up, green was nothing more than my favorite color, but now it’s a top story in the news, a popular ad campaign, even a way of life. (more)
Highlights From the AIA Design Retreat at Torch Lake
There are so many retreats going on this time of year, that we at Acoustics By Design were forced to pick and choose which ones to attend. This year, it was the AIA Design Retreat at Torch Lake and the AIA Educational Facilities Planning Conference at Grand Traverse Bay Resort in northern Michigan. This post will highlight the Design Retreat. Think of it as an abbreviated “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” report, but with a lot less photographs and a lot more alcohol. (more)
Beyond the Auditorium: Acoustics and LEED For Schools
When most people hear about the new Acoustic Standards in the LEED for Schools Rating System, their eyes start to glaze over like day-old Crispy Creams. With over thirty pages of detailed acoustical design criteria, the ANSI Standards are a force to be reckoned with. Today we will take a few moments to highlight the basic principles of acoustical design that will “LEED” to enhanced learning environments, happy school board officials, and of course…impressive LEED scores. (more)
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