ADVANCED SERVICES

AR - 404

Understanding Acoustics in Architecture

Submitted by:
• Varda
• Studio 4 „A‟
• 1700103664
• Session 2020-21
INTRODUCTION
In today‟s architectural environment, good acoustical design isn‟t a luxury – it‟s a necessity.
Acoustics impacts everything from employee productivity in office settings to performance
quality in auditoriums to the market value of apartments, condominiums and single-family homes.
While the science behind sound is well understood, using that science to create desired acoustical
performance within a specific building or room is complex. There‟s no single acoustical
“solution” that can be universally applied to building design. Each built environment offers its
own unique set of acoustical parameters. The acoustical design for a business conference room,
for instance, differs greatly from the design needed for a kindergarten classroom.
Sound Movement
Architectural acoustics is the process of managing how both
airborne and impact sound is transmitted – and controlled –
within a building design. While virtually every material within a
room – from furniture to floor coverings to computer screens –
affects sound levels to one degree or another, wall partitions,
ceiling systems and floor/ceiling assemblies are the primary
elements that designers use to control sound.
Sound moves through building spaces in a variety of ways.
Most commonly, it is transmitted through air. But wall
partitions, ceilings and floor/ceiling assemblies can also
transmit both airborne sound, such as human voices and ringing
telephones, and impact sound, such as footsteps on a floor.
Sound waves actually travel through many physical objects
faster and with less loss of energy than they travel through air.
Isolating Sound A primary goal of a wall partition,
ceiling system and floor/ceiling assembly design is to minimize
the flow of airborne and impact sound through the use of
special materials, methods of construction and designs.
Wall Partitions and STC
Reducing sound transmission through wall partitions can be accomplished in a variety of ways,
including isolation (the separation of adjoining wall partition surfaces), mass, absorption, decoupling
(inelasticity) and the elimination of flanking paths (sound leakage). Increasing the mass of a partition
forces sound waves to work harder and expend more energy to pass through the medium.
Specifically, doubling the mass of a partition can reduce sound transmission by up to 5dB. However,
using mass alone to increase sound control has definite limitations.
Ceiling Panels and NRC
Another way to control airborne sound within a room is through the use of materials that absorb sound
by converting sound waves into heat. The ability of a material to absorb sound is quantified by Noise
Reduction Coefficient (NRC) ratings. Panels with a high NRC are good choices for open-office areas,
healthcare facilities, schools and other applications where speech privacy is a priority. Panels with a
high CAC are best for private offices and other areas where sound needs to be confined within a
particular space. In open-office settings, the ceiling‟s acoustical performance can be significantly
enhanced through the use of sound-masking technologies. Sound masking systems produce electronic
sounds similar to that of softly blowing air. The sound is projected through special speakers installed
above the ceiling panels. Sound masking is set 3 to 5 decibels above conversational speech, thus
enabling speech privacy and alleviating distractions from other office noise.
Successful Acoustical Design
When creating acoustical specifications, remember that every space presents a unique acoustical
challenge. An employment office, for example, may require all-confidential private offices, while a
bank may warrant varying levels of speech privacy. In office settings, conference rooms and
executive offices usually require high levels of acoustical control, but other areas may require only
moderate measures. Consider the past environment of the occupants. What are they accustomed to?
Next, establish the privacy needs of the occupants and finally, establish the privacy potential of
each working space. Which areas, given the layout preference, offer the best potential for
confidential uses? And which will work better in a more open environment? Successful acoustical
design is a detail-oriented process, both in terms of specification and construction. Careful material
and systems specifications are imperative, as are good construction practices. Acoustical
performance often depends not so much on what was done correctly, but what was done incorrectly.
The key to success is careful attention to detail during all phases of planning, design and
construction.
SIGNIFICANCE OF ROOM
ACOUSTICS?
SIGNIFICANCE OF ROOM ACOUSTICS

• The purpose of room acoustical design is to control the propagation,

reflection and attenuation of sound within a space
– Direct sound
– Reverberant sound (reflections)
– Useful and harmful reflections
– Sound attenuation and absorption, diffusion
• Design goals according to the use of space, for example:
– Speech
Good speech distinction (e.g. auditorium) / good speech privacy (e.g.
open plan office)
– Music
Appropriate reverberation and sense of space in the audience, stage
acoustics which support music making
SIGNIFICANCE OF ROOM ACOUSTICS
Examples of design goals
• Movie theater
– Hearing the sound track in the way the movie makers have intended it
to be heard
• Concert hall
– Good spatial impression (sound surrounds the listener), sense of
intimacy, ”warm” sound color, adequate clarity, etc.
• Restaurant
– Peacefull acoustical environment (communication from short distance)
• Open plan office
– Speech sound distract concentration speech privacy between
work places
• Factory
– Noise level may cause hearing damage design of effective
sound absorption and noise blocking screens
Reflection of sound
ABSORPTION VS. REFLECTION
Reflection is often used to redirect noise from outside - consider highway barriers, which reflect
traffic noise into the sky. If you can always control the way sound is reflected then this type of
soundproofing can be effective. Reflective barriers are a good way to block out exterior noise.
Diffusion is a great way to prevent echoes, dispersing the sound wave in all directions when it
hits an irregular surface. Think about how much of a difference carpet or a wall rug can make in a
brick or concrete room. This method is very effective for high to medium frequencies, as the
vibration strength is less than that of a low frequency sound, and therefore easier to disperse.

Absorption performance varies a lot based on

the frequency of sound and the absorptive
capabilities of the material. A commonly used
sound absorber is the underlay in carpet; this
works to draw energy from the sound wave
and convert it into a tiny amount of heat,
creating that „deadening‟ of a sound.
Absorption works best in mid to high
frequencies - lower frequency sounds can
push through with more force.
SOUND ABSORBING MATERIALS
Perforated panels (resonant absorbers)
• Perforated panels act as resonant absorbers; the absorption
is based on mass-spring resonance caused by the air in the
hole acting as mass and the air in the background airspace
acting as spring
• Absorption is most effective at the resonance frequency
of the mass-spring system
• Resonance frequency and absorption coefficient are affected
by:
– Thickness of the airspace and filling with porous material
– Size, amount and geometry of holes
– Thickness of the panel
• Resonance frequency is typically at mid frequencies (500-
1000 Hz), below and above which absorption coefficient
decreases
• Absorption coefficient of perforated panel absorbers can be
increased by filling the background airspace with porous
absorption material
CONCERT HALLS
SOUND FIELD IN A CONCERT HALL
• Acoustics experienced by the audience
– Ideally the audience should be able to hear the
performace in the same way in every point of the hall
(nod acoustically bad seats)
– The balance between different players / singers should be
good and not dependent on the listening position
• Acoustics experienced by the performer(s)
– Performers should be able to hear each other
– Room acoustics shoud act as a continuation of the
performers instrument: the performer should be able to
hear the acoustics of the space properly and the acoustics
should support the performers efforts