BUILDING UTILITIES 3

Lecture 2 - ROOM ACOUSTICS

INTRODUCTION
The architect deals always with the human senses when
designing a building’s environment. The acoustical
environment in and around the buildings is influenced by
factors associated with the building planning-design-
construction process
Selection of site
Location of the buildings on the site
Arrangement of spaces within the building
Materials and construction elements that shape the finished
spaces
ACOUSTICS
• Science that deals with the production, control,
transmission, reception, and effects of sound
• Subjective interpretation of sound
– Defines the difference between what is desirable and what is not
– Differentiates what is sound and what is noise; this differentiation
does not consider the specific content of the acoustic signal
– Dictates the quality of communication within a space
BRANCHES OF ACOUSTICS
PHYSICAL ACOUSTICS
Physical acoustics encompasses propagation and
absorption of sound at all frequencies in air and other
gases, liquids, semi-solids and solids.
It deals with airborne, audible sound, infrasound and
ultrasound.
Physical acoustics includes both linear processes such as
the propagation of sound from traffic, and non-linear
processes such as the shock waves that are generated by
planes flying faster than the speed of sound.
ENGINEERING ACOUSTICS
Engineering Acoustics deals with the development of
devices to generate (e.g., loudspeakers), record (e.g.,
microphones) and analyze (e.g., frequency analyzers)
sound of all kinds.
The field of sound production, recording and reproduction,
with all its attendant electronics and measuring instruments,
is an important part of engineering acoustics.
MUSICAL ACOUSTICS
Musical acoustics considers the workings of traditional,
experimental and electronic musical instruments.
The interaction of musicians, instruments, listeners and
performance spaces means that many branches of
acoustics influence work in this field.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ACOUSTICS
Psychological acoustics studies the brain's signal-
processing function, which takes nerve impulses from the
ear and interprets them.
− One practical application of this field is the study of the elements
important to achieving a stereophonic effect.
− Another is the determination of those factors that make one
sound unpleasant or annoying and another the reverse.
Physiological acoustics deals with models and theories of
the operation of the ear and its anatomy.
Cochlear mechanics, the physiology of hair cells, the
auditory central nervous system and the effects of noise and
trauma on the auditory system are among some of the
areas studied.
BIOACOUSTICS
Bioacoustics studies all aspects of acoustic behaviour in
animals and biological media in general.
This field includes such topics as sound production by
animals, biosonar, sound reception by animals, effects of
noise on animals and medical diagnostics using acoustics,
especially ultrasonics.
ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS
Architectural Acoustics is concerned with sound in buildings.
One aspect of this field is the control of sound within rooms to
maximize the acceptability of music or intelligibility of speech.
This branch of architectural acoustics deals with sound in
lecture or concert halls, meeting rooms and classrooms.
− Sound production, by one or more live players, vocalists or lecturers,
whether assisted by loudspeakers or not, is greatly affected by the
character of the room in which it takes place.
− The correct choice and placement of sound-absorbing and sound-
reflecting materials in a room and the level of noise in it are critical to
obtaining an acceptable space.
− Properly placed reflectors can direct the sound to where it will do
most good. Properly placed sound-absorbing materials will prevent
reflections that might cause unpleasant echoes or cause sounds to
interfere and cancel each other out.
 − In rooms that are too reverberant, it is difficult to understand speech;
In rooms that are not reverberant enough, music will sound dead
and lifeless.
− The reverberant characteristics of a room are described by its
reverberation times which vary with frequency; reverberation time is
usually longer at frequencies around 100 Hz than it is around 5000
Hz.
− In concert halls, the average reverberation time is around 2
seconds. In homes, it is around 0.5 seconds. In a highly reverberant
space with hard surfaces, such as a swimming pool, the average
reverberation time can be several seconds unless material is added
to absorb sound.
Another concern of architectural acoustics is sometimes called
building acoustics and deals with the reduction of noise
transfer between rooms in buildings.
ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS
• The design of spaces, structures, and mechanical/electrical
systems to meet the hearing needs
• Deals with sound in the built environment
• The function is to simply follow this logic: to enhance
desired sounds and to attenuate noises.
– It becomes the designer’s job to qualitatively balance the
interaction between acoustic properties of spaces when
establishing design intent and criteria
– Proper acoustic design responses early in the design process for
all acoustical situations are thus, critically important to avoid
costly repairs and alterations
MAJOR BRANCHES OF ARCHITECTURAL
ACOUSTICS
Room acoustics
− involves the design of the interior of buildings to project properly diffused sound at
appropriate levels and with appropriate aesthetic qualities for music and adequate
intelligibility for speech.
Noise control or noise management
− involves the reduction and control of noise between a potentially disturbing sound
source and a listener.
Sound isolation
− involves site consideration, location of activities within the building, construction of
barriers, background sound levels in coordination with room acoustics
Sound reinforcement and enhancement systems
− use electronic equipment to improve the quality of sounds heard in rooms.
FOUR MAJOR ASPECTS OF ARCHITECTURAL
ACOUSTICS
1. Isolating sound between rooms.
2. Managing acoustics within spaces; typically by controlling
reverberation.
3. Managing HVAC/Plumbing/Electrical Equipment (MEP)
vibration and noise control.
4. Active audio systems such as white noise generators and noise
cancellation.
DIFFICULTIES IN ACHIEVING GOOD
ACOUSTICS
• For cost-cutting measures, the weight of various materials
has been reduced
• Population density vis-à-vis spaces has increased steadily,
thus raising the amount of noise generated
• Design of many office areas today is open, with only
cubicles separating workers
• Mechanical and electrical systems intended to provide
comfort to building occupants also generate noise
• There is no unified theory of acoustical comfort to guide
design efforts, unlike that of thermal comfort
THREE ACOUSTICAL TOOLS
SOUND MAGNITUDE
Six quantitative measures of sound magnitude are
encountered in architectural acoustics:
Ratio values that compare an absolute measure to a
baseline reference value
– Sound pressure
– Sound power
– Sound intensity
Absolute measures
– Sound pressure level
– Sound power level
– Sound intensity level
 SOUND PRESSURE
• Sound pressure or amplitude is the objective measurement of the degree of change
(positive or negative) in atmospheric pressure (the compression and rarefaction of air
molecules) caused by sound waves.
• Sound pressure is caused by the acoustic power output of a sound source but is
influenced by the nature of the environment between the source and the receiver;
sound pressure is an environment-source property
• Sound pressure must be referenced to a particular location in a space, as pressure
will often vary from location to location in a room.
• Sounds with greater amplitude will produce greater changes in atmospheric pressure
from high pressure to low pressure.
• A woodwind player may increase the amplitude of their sound by providing greater
force in the air column i.e. blowing harder.
• Amplitude is measured in the amount of force applied over an area. The most
common unit of measurement of force applied to an area for acoustic study is the
Newtons per square meter (N/m2).
– One Newton is the amount of force it takes to accelerate a 1-kilogram object by one
meter per second (m/s)
SOUND POWER
• Sound power is an independent property of a sound source
that quantifies the source’s acoustical output
• It is constant for any given source operating under defined
conditions and is not influenced by the nature of the
surroundings into which a source is placed
• If we picture a sound wave as an expanding sphere of
energy, power is the total amount of kinetic energy
contained on the sphere’s surface; power is a
measurement of amplitude over time.
– The unit of measurement for power is the watt, named after
James Watt.
1 watt = 1 Newton of work per second
SOUND INTENSITY
The power of the original sound source along with distance of
measurement from the sound source combine to form the intensity.
Intensity can be measured as watts per square meter or
w/m2. Intensity can be seen as amplitude over time over an area.
As the surface area of the sound sphere expands, the amount of
energy generated by the sound source is distributed over an
exponentially increasing surface area.
The amount of energy in any given square meter of the expanding
sphere's surface decreases exponentially by the inverse square
law, which states that the energy drops off by 1/distance2.
So, acoustic energy twice the distance from the source is spread
over four times the area and therefore has one-fourth the intensity, or
simply put, relative intensity is the reciprocal of the change in
distance squared.
WHAT IS ROOM ACOUSTICS
Room Acoustics is concerned with the way sound is created, propagated,
perceived, measured and modelled inside enclosures. Enclosures can be
dwellings, offices, workshops, factory halls, lecture rooms, auditoria, concert halls,
transportation terminals, etc.
One of the most important parameters in Room Acoustics is Reverberation Time.
It is a measure for how long the acoustic energy emitted from sound sources
inside a room will linger. In regular rooms with an even distribution of sound
absorption, reverberation time is also a measure for the amount of absorption
present inside the room.
The optimal reverberation time depends on the use of the enclosure.
− For example, for churches and large concert halls longer reverberation times are
often desired, since this supports the music.
− Halls for speech should have a shorter time, since otherwise lingering sound will
blend with subsequent spoken words, making it difficult to understand what is said.
− Factory halls should also have short reverberation time. In this situation the goal is to
prevent the accumulation of sound energy. This will help reduce the overall sound
pressure level and the noise exposure for all workers in the hall.
LARGE ROOM DEFINED
Greater than 300m3
Large Studios
Rehearsal Rooms
Worship Spaces
Recital and Concert Halls
Theatres
WHY ROOM MATTERS
The sound that is heard in any room is a combination of the
direct sound that travels straight from a sound source to the
listener, and the indirect reflected sound — the sound from that
source that bounces off the walls, floor, ceiling, and furniture
before it reaches the listener. Reflected sounds can be both
good and bad.
The good part is that they make music and movie dialogue sound
much fuller and louder than they would otherwise.
‒ If the speakers are played outdoors where there are no walls to add
reflections, they don't sound as good — thin and dull, with very little bass.
‒ Reflected sound can add a pleasant spaciousness to your sound.
WHY ROOM MATTERS
The bad part is that these same reflections can also distort
sound in a room by making certain notes sound louder while
canceling out others.
‒ The result may be midrange and treble that's too bright and harsh
or echoey, or bass notes that are boomy, with a "one-note" quality
that drowns out deep bass.
‒ Because these reflections arrive at the listener at different times
than the sound from the sound source, the three-dimensional
"soundstage" created by the speakers and the images of the
instruments and singers may become vague or smeared.
QUALITY EXPERIENCE FOR LISTENERS
Clarity (articulation, intelligibility, definition)
- The quality of sound which supports the comprehension of detail
and the distinct separation of individual musical notes and
articulations.
Loudness (volume, strength)
- The overall quantity of sound, as heard by a listener.
Localization
- The ability to determine the exact or approximate location of the
sound source.
Reverberance
- Running Liveliness - The sense of a persistence of sound as
heard during ongoing speech or music.
- Reverberation (decay, lingering) - The perceived lingering of
sound following the cessation of music.
QUALITY EXPERIENCE FOR LISTENERS
Envelopment (immersion)
- The sense of being surrounded by sound
Proper timbre (Warmth, bass response or lack of
“boominess”, proper mid/high pitch)
- The tonal quality resulting from an abundance of low-pitched
sound (bass sound) within a room.
Communication
- Musicians on Stage
- Musicians in Pit
Feedback
REFLECTIONS
• There are two factors when it comes to sound: loudness
and length of delay.
‒ If the reflection is too loud, or if the delay between the original
sound and the reflection lasts too long, a distinct echo is
generally heard.
‒ Many reflections off all surfaces within a room can combine to
produce the phenomenon known as reverberation
‒ That's why it's much more difficult to locate the source of a
sound in a highly reflective room with uncontrolled echoes, than
in an open field, where the only reflective surface is the ground.
• There are several different ways that room reflections can
interfere with enjoyment of music and movie sound.
‒ these unique set of reflections develop based on the size,
shape, and dimensions of your room.
PROBLEM 1: STANDING WAVES
Any time there is a pair of parallel reflective surfaces (like
room walls, or the floor and ceiling), the listener is going to
experience some degree of a phenomenon known as
"standing waves“.
These are sound waves whose wavelength is equal to one-half (or
any whole number multiple of) a room dimension, and hence whose
nodes occur at boundary surfaces.
Standing waves generate uneven sound distribution within a room
‒ Some areas will have high levels of sound because the standing wave
reinforces the pressure at those locations
‒ Some areas will have low levels because the standing wave cancels much of
the pressure at those locations.
Standing waves distort the bass and lower midrange frequencies
from 300 Hz on down.
PROBLEM 1: STANDING WAVES
• The sound from the source acts in much the same way.
• It's reflected back and forth, over and over between the parallel
surfaces in the room: the side walls, the front and rear walls, and
the floor and ceiling.
• This creates areas of differing sound pressure or loudness: the
"hot" and "cold" spots. And while some reinforcement is
necessary, too much can distort the sound.
DEAL WITH STANDING WAVES
Lessen the problems with standing waves in an existing room with
some of these tips:
Standing waves are always stronger next to walls. If your chair or sofa has
its back against a wall, moving it out away from the wall should reduce
standing wave boominess.
Try moving the position of your chair or sofa closer to or farther from your
speakers to get out of a standing wave hot spot.
Room corners are notorious collection points for standing waves. If your
room has an 8-foot ceiling, professionally designed bass traps can help
reduce or eliminate these standing waves. This is accomplished by soaking
up the bass reflections created by the 71 Hz fundamental resonance mode of
the 8-foot ceiling.
PROBLEM 2: ROOM RESONANCE MODES
• Room resonance occurs at specific frequencies in rooms
• A room mode is essentially a resonance, an area of increased
amplitude that results when a sound wave reflects off a boundary
surface (wall, floor, or ceiling) and combines in phase with the
original direct sound wave.
• What causes the direct and reflected waves to combine in phase is
simply a whole-number correlation between the length of the sound
wave and the length (or width, or height) of the room.
• The sound from the source acts in much the same way.
• It's reflected back and forth, over and over between the parallel surfaces
in the room: the side walls, the front and rear walls, and the floor and
ceiling.
• This creates areas of differing sound pressure or loudness: the "hot"
and "cold" spots. And while some reinforcement is necessary, too much
can distort the sound.
A room's primary or "axial" resonance modes are based on the room's three main axes:
length, width, and height. These resonance modes create bass peaks and dips of up to
10 dB throughout the room — so the volume may sound twice as loud in some areas
as opposed to others.
Axial Mode is the name given to standing waves that exist between two parallel
surfaces (front and back walls, left and right side walls, or floor and ceiling). Other
types of standing waves include the Tangential Mode, where the sound wave bounces
off of four distinct surfaces, and the Oblique Mode, where all six room boundaries are
involved.
HOW TO DEAL WITH ROOM RESONANCE
MODES
In many cases, not much.
These room modes are based on the room dimensions, which are difficult to change.
Even bass-loving audiophiles will hesitate to move a wall just to hear more accurate
low frequencies.
Room treatment products are great for controlling treble reflections with short
wavelengths, but don't work at all on long-wavelength bass reflections.
Certain room shapes are fundamentally bad from a room-mode standpoint. A cube is
one of the worst shapes for a room — each resonance mode gets triple emphasis.
There are also more standing wave distortion in rooms with two equal dimensions, or
rooms with dimensions that are multiples, i.e. 8' x 16' x 24'.
In general, the smaller the room, the more its resonance modes will color bass
response.
A high, sloped ceiling tends to scatter ceiling mode effects.
Common types of wall construction such as drywall or wood paneling on 2x4s will
absorb a significant amount of added bass reflections in the under-125 Hz range.
The sound-absorbing effectiveness of some common room surfaces. Fibrous
materials like carpet and drapes provide significant absorption above 500 Hz,
but have little effect on lower frequencies. Conversely, window glass and
drywall can absorb bass frequencies, but are very reflective above 500 Hz.
The most successful approaches combine materials like these with
professionally-designed room treatment products.
ROOM DIMENSION RATIOS THAT ARE
SUPERIOR SOUNDWISE
PROBLEM 3: FLUTTER ECHO
Probably the most common and immediately noticeable room problem
results from having parallel surfaces (walls, floor and ceiling) with a hard
finish that reflects sound.
The resulting effect is called "flutter echo," a ringing reverberation that remains after
the direct sound has stopped.
If you've ever stood in an empty uncarpeted room or hallway, and clapped your
hands, you've heard flutter echo. The original clap sound is reflected back and forth
between two surfaces. Because the wavelengths of mid- and high-frequency
sounds are so much shorter than those of bass notes, the reflections bounce around
very directionally, like reflected light. The resulting sound is this ringing flutter echo
rather than the boomy standing waves described previously.
Flutter echo affects music by blurring transients (fast musical attacks) and adding an
unpleasant harshness to the midrange and treble.
Flutter echo and other side wall reflections affect sounds above 500 Hz, and are a
major reason why the same pair of speakers will sound different in different rooms.
HOW TO DEAL WITH FLUTTER ECHO
Here are a few tips and ideas to keep in mind concerning sound
absorption:
Before turning to professional room treatment products for absorption, try to get the
most out of ordinary room materials.
Large expanses of glass such as picture windows or French doors should be
covered with drapes.
The pad beneath a carpet contributes to its sound-absorbing ability. While the first
considerations should be durability and comfort, it's worth knowing that an "open-cell"
pad such as foam rubber will absorb more sound than a "closed-cell" pad.
The illustration above left shows that a 1" thick fiberglass panel provides excellent
absorption of sounds above 500 Hz, but that controlling lower-frequency reflections requires
the use of thicker panels. As an alternative to thicker fiberglass, the illustration above right
shows how creating an air space between the panel and wall surface increases low-
frequency absorption.
Notice the increase in the absorption of reflected sounds — especially for
sounds at or above 1000 Hz (1kHz) — when the fabric is folded into drapes.
TIPS ON DIFFUSIVE TREATMENTS
Diffusion products can be used to treat many of the same problems that
absorption is used for. Again, diffusion will rid the room of echoey
reflections without replacing them with acoustic deadness.
If the room already has built-in absorption in the form of carpeting, drapes, or
acoustic ceiling tile, diffusion may control side wall reflections better than adding
more absorption.
A bookcase filled with odd-sized books makes an effective diffusor.
In a home theater system using traditional bookshelf speakers for surrounds,
place diffusors in the middle of the back wall and aim your surrounds toward the
diffusors at a 45° angle
One of the best-sounding setups for music or home theater is to use absorptive
material on room surfaces between your listening position and your front
speakers, and treat the back wall with diffusive material to re-distribute the
reflections.
ROOM GEOMETRY
SPHERE
The inside of a sphere is generally the worst acoustical shape because
this isn’t a practical building shape for most commercial venues, it is
rarely seen, and not worth much further commentary other than these
two points.
- If you are seriously considering the design of a spherical room, one of your first
phone calls needs to be to an acoustical consultant. There will be much work
required to make this shape sonically tolerable.
- Conversely, the outside of a sphere is an excellent shape when located inside
of almost any room. It becomes a very effective, convex diffuser
CUBE
This is the worst of the realistically-usable room shapes. The problem is
that all three dimensions are equal, and that each of the three
dimensions are parallel. Though it may not be obvious, a cube-shaped
structure will result in all kinds of nasty sound problems if it has hard,
reflective surfaces.
- Massive echo problems, and very-poorly distributed room modes, are the main
issues with this shape. Much work will be required to make a cubed room
sonically viable.
CYLINDER
A round room with a flat floor and ceiling. This is a difficult shape for any
sound-related activity.
- Without significant absorption or diffusion materials incorporated into the
vertical walls, this footprint will likely be unusable for public assembly. Oval
rooms have very similar problems.
- The primary issue with cylindrical and oval rooms is the focusing of sound,
toward a fairly small area, near the center of the arc radius. This is caused by
the concaved side walls. Once again, much work will be required to make this
shape sonically feasible.
DOME
Picture a literal dome or a cylinder with a domed roof. These shapes
have all the same issues as the sphere and cylinder, but are even
worse because of the concave ceiling. Again, without the addition of
specific acoustic treatments, these shapes are nearly unusable for most
public activities.
- If at all possible, never build a commercial space with a dome- or pyramid-
shaped ceiling. This may look creative and artistic, but it will almost always
result in a room that doesn't work well for good sound reproduction.
- If it must be done, be sure and include an acoustical consultant on your
engineering team, and a budget for some "creative" acoustical treatment
within the envelope of the dome or pyramid.
RECTANGLE (2D floor plan)
This is probably the most common shape for commercial venues, the
common shoebox geometry.
- The geometry of a rectangular room is simple and obvious. The height, width
and depth dimensions should be designed around a good set of ratios.
a. Contrary to popular belief, parallel walls are not automatically a negative
acoustical factor. However, there are potential problems if the room is
not designed with some care beyond the basic construction
requirements.
b. As noted above, the HWD ratio set is the first item of interest. While
there are a number of complementary ratio sets, there are also many
sets that are quite bad. Whenever possible, try and preview the primary
ratios you may be considering.
- Flutter echo - In rectangular rooms, another significant area of concern
relates to minimizing or eliminating audible echoes. Echo, sometimes called
"flutter echo", occurs when sound bounces rapidly, back and forth, between
hard, parallel surfaces.
a. To minimize or eliminate discrete echo, any number of diffusive and/or
absorptive finishes or treatments may be employed.
b. Flat, sound soak panels are not the only option.
TRIANGLE (2D floor plan)
A true triangle is not a common building shape, but it does present one
nice feature; the side walls are about as far from parallel as possible.
Flutter echo shouldn't be a problem, unless it occurs between the floor
and ceiling.
- Triangular- and pyramid-shaped rooms present modal problems, much like
cube-shaped rooms. This is especially true for equilateral, triangular
enclosures.
QUARTER-ROUND AND HALF-ROUND (2D floor plan)
In recent years these shapes have become popular for performing arts
and house of worship venues.
- While these shapes can be quite good when considering sightlines, and a
need to put the audience as close to the stage as possible, they can present
acoustical challenges too.
- Any concaved, interior wall surface presents an acoustical paradox.
a. If the concave surface is on the back wall of a stage, it may serve as an
effective acoustical reflector, which may possibly enhance certain styles
of musical performance.
b. If the back wall (opposite the stage) has a concave shape, it may not be
a good acoustical element, and will probably need some specific
treatment in order to minimize the negative effects (arc radii focusing) of
the reflected energy bounding off the curved shape.
c. Regardless of the fact that the back wall is a true curve, or a facetted
curve, the detrimental effects are similar.
TRAPEZOID (2D floor plan)
Like the quarter-round shape, the trapezoid room has one notable
advantage: at least one set of walls is not parallel. This will help break
up flutter echoes, and create more complex modal behavior in the LF
wave region.
- The greatest disadvantage of the trapezoid shape is that the front and back
walls are often either parallel, or one or both are built with a concave
curvature.
- Both of these conditions will require further evaluation, and treatment, if not
properly factored into the initial design.
PENTAGON (2D floor plan)
The pentagon shape is a favorite because it's the shape that offers a
large seating area, good sight lines, and no major, parallel or curved
walls.
- As nice as this shape may appear on first glance, there are still potential
acoustic issues to be considered. These are based on:
1. The dimensions of the wall segments
2. The symmetry of the layout
3. The height and potential slope angle of the ceiling
4. The potential slope angle of the floor
5. The location of various key elements such as a stage, and the seating
layout
HEXAGON AND OCTAGON (2D floor plan)
More facets is not necessarily better. The hexagon plan falls back into
the rectangular group of shapes because it has multiple, parallel walls.
All the same precautions must be taken related to flutter echoes and
room modes.
HEPTAGON (2D floor plan) –
Much like the pentagon, a potentially good acoustical shape to consider.
However, now construction costs start to climb, but with no real
acoustical improvement.
- The heptagon shape also begins to more closely resemble a cylinder, which
as noted above, can be problematic.
CONCAVE AND CONVEX PLANES
There is no question that architectural structures take on many other,
more complex shapes than those outlined above. Therefore it is
appropriate to summarize the relative merits of these two, plane curve
shapes.
- Concave plane curves - Almost all concave planes are acoustically
challenging, especially if they are finished with hard, reflective materials.
a. As noted earlier, concave surfaces can concentrate reflected sound
energy into a fairly small area. The density of concentration, and the
size of the focal point, are largely determined by the arc radius of the
plane, and the overall size of the curved surface.
b. Focusing reflected sound is usually not desirable, and should be
avoided in most situations. There are exceptions to this guideline, but
they are rare, especially in multi-use facilities.
- Convex plane curves - Convex planes bring the exact opposite results, and
are generally encouraged, where and whenever possible.
a. Convex planes are inherently diffusive, which is good. More often than
not, convex planes result in improved acoustics and sound.
b. Faceted convex planes are less complementary, but still can be
beneficial. The number of facets, and the arc radius of the curvature,
will determine the relative benefits. More facets generally bring better
results.
c. If a building's design is able to include two or more, mirror-image,
convex planes, regardless of location, the need for additional diffusive
or absorptive materials may be greatly minimized.
SYMMETRY
If the purpose of a room is to support live performances or the
presentation of other useful, audible information, it helps tremendously
to design a symmetrical interior shell.
A. One of the prime goals and challenges, for the sound system designer, is that
of delivering even sound coverage to all seating areas.
B. There are significant performance, cost, and aesthetic benefits achieved
when a room is designed with mirror-image symmetry along the center line
axis of the stage or platform.
C. In the context of symmetry, it is important to note these points:
1. Good quality sound reinforcement requires careful analysis and
implementation in the time domain. A sound system that is not properly
"time-aligned" is analogous to a photograph that is out of focus.
2. Every major building element or feature, which introduces significant
asymmetry to the floor plan, ceiling, and/or the audience seating area(s),
can add cost and complexity to a room's sound system requirements.
D. Within the guidelines for achieving a good acoustical environment, complex
interior geometry is a beneficial and much desired objective. Conversely,
asymmetrical complexity is not an appropriate goal.
1. Example: The exterior of the Disney Concert Hall, in Los Angeles, is
anything by symmetrical. However, upon closer inspection, you should
notice that the performance area within the hall is very symmetrical,
while also providing strikingly-complex structural geometry.
E. Asymmetrical rooms can often result in unwanted or inconsistent acoustical
areas or zones. If a room is designed with random, asymmetrical shapes and
finishes, there is a good chance the acoustical results will be less than
desirable.
1. There are some exceptions; times when specifying "zoned acoustics" is
an appropriate and desirable goal. Application-specific, acoustic zones
need to be carefully planned, and purpose-built.
CEILING LAYOUT
Ceilings are another important element within the acoustical
environment.
A. Ceiling symmetry is just as important as floor plan and wall
symmetry.
B. If a room is to have a single, interior ceiling slope, it's extremely
helpful to have the highest point in the room located above the
stage or platform, with the downward slope moving away from the
stage.
1. The slope ratio should be in the range of 1:12 to 3:12. Anything having less
slope is acoustically insignificant. A ratio that's too steep has its challenges
too.
2. If there is a sloped or stepped floor planned, slant the floor and ceiling in
opposite directions so the angles open widest above the stage.
3. Gradual, yet acoustically-significant slope changes are much preferred over
dramatic changes.
C. The A-framed, peak-ridge roof structure:
1. If a room design calls for an A-frame ridgeline, DO NOT set the peak to run
perpendicular to the center line of the stage or platform.
- All kinds of presentation and propagation challenges are created when
the peak ridge is turned sideways.
- A peak ridge, which runs parallel to the center line of the stage, is
perfectly fine as long as the lowest point of the slope is equal to or
greater than about 50% of the ceiling height at the peak. Read a
shallow, not steep slope.
D. Dome and pyramid ceiling shapes are very problematic.