RIVERS STATE UNIVERSITY,

NKPOLU – OROWORUKWO, P.M.B. 5080

PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA.

CONSIDERATIONS OF ACOUSTICS IN ECUMENICAL CENTERS

AND LARGE CHURCHES

NAME: MITEE BARIELBA BATOM

LEVEL: MSC 1
DEPARTMENT: ARCHITECTURE
COURSE CODE: ARC 881
COURSE TITLE: RESEARCH METHODS
LECTURER: DR. BRISIBE WAREBI
DATE: SEPTEMBER, 2022.
Contents
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................................3
1.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Definition of Terms............................................................................................................................4
1.11 What is acquostics ?....................................................................................................................4
1.12 What is Architectural acquostics?................................................................................................4
ABSTRACT

The interest in church acoustics has increased in recent years and many studies have been
carried out in different countries, although many questions are still unanswered and we still
have a lot to do to reach the level of analysis, results and conclusions that were achieved and
published for concert and opera halls. The role of effective acoustics in church buildings cannot
be over emphasized. Many church buildings have been grappling with the discomfort caused by
the poor circulation of sound in their main auditoria. This has not just become a recurring
menace in church buildings that are not purpose-built but also in purpose-built church
buildings. The hearing experience in worship facilities has been deemphasized while visual
impressions have taken center place. The measurement of Reverberation Time (RT) is a quite
important estimation of the sound quality in a closed environment. From this measurement, in
fact, one can gain information about intelligibility of signals and amount of reflection
energy. In particular the liturgical hall of a church is an interesting environment because
of its relevant volume and the materials adopted for the interior design. In this paper the
authors present an experimental study of a new built church, in which the geometry of two
lateral chapels produces interesting acoustical effects. A correction of the RT is proposed in the
last part of the paper, by means of absorbing panels insertion. The intervention has been
dimensioned, tuned and designed in a predictive software framework.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Definition of Terms
1.11 What is acquostics ?
Acoustics, the science concerned with the production, control, transmission, reception, and effects of

sound. The term is derived from the Greek akoustos, meaning “heard.” (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2022).

1.12 What is Architectural acquostics?

Architectural acoustics involves designing a building to control how soundwaves reverberate off its
interior in such a way as to maximize clarity, amplifying sound in areas where it’s appropriate to do so,
and reducing noise levels where doing so is beneficial. Architectural modifications (e.g., orchestral shells,

canopies, and undulating or angled ceilings and walls) may act as focusing elements to improve sound

quality (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2022).

1.13 What is an Ecumenical center?

Ecunemical relates to the Christian Church throughout the world, esecially with regard to its unity.

(Encyclopaedia Britannica 2022).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

A research on the considerations of acoustics in ecumenical centers and large churches

1.3 Aim of Research

To determine the the considerations of acoustics in ecumenical centers and large churches

1. To research on considerations of acoustics in ecumenical centers and large churches.

2. To evaluate and compare how different materials are used in acoustics in ecumenical centers and
large churches.

3. To evaluate how acoustics can be achieved in ecumenical centers and large churches.

1.5. Justification
Acoustics is essential in ecumenical centers and large churches therefore and its functions

is good to understand
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 ACOUSTICS IN CHURCHES
Church acoustics reflect what a congregation believes are important sounds. Church acoustics also
reveal what church leaders think the Hears of the Word should hear. That’s one reason Protestant
Reformers changed their church buildings—they wanted to hear different sounds, like a sermon. And
today, a church that uses a contemporary worship style will design a very different space than a church
that uses only acoustic instruments. Many people regard the subject of acoustics as rather mysterious
and uncertain.

Acoustics is a hidden force that can help or hurt a church service; when the acoustics have been shaped
and controlled, the sermon will be clear and understandable, and the music will be more energetic and
uplifting. But poor acoustics can create problems for all parts of the service, and they can be difficult to
correct. Too much acoustic treatment can drain the life from a service, while too little can make the
service sound cluttered and uncomfortable. As a result, the implications are often ignored. However,
acoustics vitally affect the way in which a

congregation experiences both worship and musical performance. Too often, decisions made

on aesthetic grounds have unexpected acoustic consequences. In particular, alterations to a

church or its furnishings can have a significant effect on both speech and music, including the

sound of the organ.

Church acoustics starts with the sanctuary but it doesn’t end there. There is more to a church these days
than a sanctuary, an entry and a cry room. The fellowship hall has a pretty significant acoustic
requirement. And so does the daycare/after school program. There is usually at least one wing of
smaller rooms and spaces, which provide for staff and activities, all connected together by a noisy
hallway. Some offices really need quality privacy, like the pastor. Others, the receptionist and office
manager, might be more open. There will be small teaching rooms, prayer rooms and even bathrooms.
Each requires a certain quality of acoustic control and sound isolation. And so the other part of the job is
noise control-keeping unwanted sounds away. The types of adult and teen activities that a church hosts
these days tends to require a lot more privacy in general than that of yester year. Often times, one room
is hosting an AA meeting while next door is a Boy Scout troop meeting. Down the hall, a battered
women’s group is next to the teen club, and on and on... The diversity of today’s church reflects its
dedication to providing whatever is needed by the community to help them get betterboth personally
and in fellowship. But all this side-by-side diversity in space utilization also means that sound and noise
control is one of today’s churches top priority

2.12 fundamental terms that define how sound interacts with any architectural space.
1. Direct sound

2. Early reflections

3. Reverberation

4. Echoes
For each of these terms, we’ll look at a working definition, consider how this characteristic affects
speech and music in a church environment, and evaluate how it can add to or distract from the worship
experience.

1-DIRECT SOUND

Defined – This one is relatively straightforward. Direct sound refers to those acoustical waves that
emanate directly from the sound source. The source could be a person speaking or singing, a musical
instrument, or a loudspeaker. With pure direct sound, no reflected sound waves at all are reaching your
However, it is rare that you will hear nothing but direct sound. Indoors, you’ll experience it only in an
anechoic chamber -- a room made for acoustical measurements that absorbs all sounds at all
frequencies. Even outdoors it’s uncommon. You’d need to be away from any large objects since
buildings, pavement, water, or even large tree trunks will reflect some sounds.

Benefits – Direct sound is always good, for two reasons.

First, direct sound is the foundation of both musical clarity and speech intelligibility. That’s because all of
the sounds you hear, at all frequencies, are phase coherent when they reach your ear – at least relative
to the immediate source. (If these direct sounds are from a loudspeaker, the phase relationships may be
altered relative to the original source, but that’s another story.) Direct sounds will be free of any
smearing of consonants in speech, so similar words are easily distinguished. Also, staccato music sounds
with rapid transient changes are perceived individually with full clarity.

2-EARLY REFLECTIONS

Definition – Early reflections are sounds that arrive at your ear less than about 1/10 second after the
direct sound. They are generated by acoustically reflective surfaces near the sound source and are
perceived as an integral part of the direct sound.

Benefits – Even though we don’t perceive these reflections separately, we know when they are
absent. Early reflections give an acoustical space a feeling of “life” and “air.” Without them, the space
sounds “stuffy” or “dead.”

Early reflections actually contribute to speech intelligibility by increasing the total sound level while
maintaining coherence of consonant sounds. Early reflections also enhance musical clarity and allow
members of ensembles to hear each other. Stage orchestra shells are basically made to create early
reflections. Traditional church architecture often produces ample early reflections – usually mixed with
mild reverberation – that encourage congregational singing.

Downsides – Again, no real downsides, unless the perceived boost in level from strong early reflections
makes the overall sound too loud.

3-REVERBERATION

Definition – Reverberation is complex reflected sound energy that is perceived as separate from the
direct sound. Reverberation “hangs in the air” after the direct sound stops. The nature of reverberation
is defined by three characteristics:

Strength – How strong (loud) is the reverberant sound in comparison to the direct sound?
Decay – How long does it take for the reverberation to die away after the direct sound stops? This is
usually given as a mid-band RT60, or the time it takes mid-band frequencies (those centered at 500 Hz
and 1 kHz) to decay 60 dB from the initial level of direct sound. A very dead room, like a good movie
theater, will be less than one second. A large cathedral can be 10 seconds or more, whereas a good
symphony hall will be around two seconds.

2.13 OBJECTIVES of church acoustics

1. Speech from the front of the church should be as clear as possible and of adequate loudness
in all parts of the building.

2. The singing of both congregation and choir (if there is one) should be encouraged by the

acoustic environment.

3. In an age when congregations will be familiar with recordings of music performed to the
highest standards, it should be possible to perform choral and instrumental music in the
context of worship without distorting the musical balance.

4. The sound of the organ should be heard with warmth and clarity throughout the whole
building.

5. The organ should be positioned to allow good egress of sound. The player should be suitably

placed to hear both the organ and other musicians in reasonable balance.

Reflection: the repetition of a sound due to a sound wave reflecting off an object

Simply put, reflection causes an echo. In the worship setting, shoot for eliminating reflection.
Sound engineers want to control the environment, and having an unwanted echo creates a
muddled mess. This is largely due to large, open rooms with high ceilings and no way to break
up the reflecting sound waves.

Absorption: the way sound energy is absorbed when sound waves collide into materials and
structures

This is crucial in altering a room’s acoustics. Absorptive material is used in the sound panels that
are used to reduce reflection. If your worship center suffers from the echo in the above
situation, install sound panels on the ceiling and walls to eliminate the reflection.

Diffusion: how sound energy is spread in any given environment

A perfectly diffusive environment is when key acoustic properties are the same throughout the
entire worship space. This is difficult to achieve, but gives listeners the feeling of being
enveloped or surrounded by the music when done right.

Reverberation: the persistence of a sound after the original sound was produced

This is different from reflection because there’s no echo effect. Reverberation is caused by the
original sound bouncing back and forth at a speed too quickly to be perceived as separate.
Reverberation is also best when the sound engineer gets to choose how the reverb in the room
is set via FX, but if you don’t have the capability to run FX, then reverb is a great sound property
for your room to have.

GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL CHURCH

The Floor is made from tiles, doors are made from laminated wood, which is 50mm thick. The
stage is made from the rug, and the church, I would say had some sort of considerations in its
design in the arrangements of the speakers, which are hung above the stage, facing adjacent
directions and in the stage as seen. The stage is finished with a rug. Why I prompted my opinion
on the church being a participant in acoustic control is that the auditorium was designed in the
middle of the church structure, meaning, no windows in the hall. The hall is surrounded by
corridors, bounded is the right word, which houses the windows for visual movements. The
interior has curtains padded on the walls.
The gallery view and the altar view, showing the carpeted altar, and speaker, are generally
placed in a good location, and the tiled floor which helps with sound distribution which actually
involves the sound being reflected evenly across the auditorium

The stage I carpeted helps to reduce the amount of sound that is bounced off in raw form to
the congregation. The Rug further helps to absorb sound and create a diffused sound effect in
the auditorium. Also, the placement of the speakers by the sides and above the stage helps in
the directing of the propagated sound waves
The padded wall achieved using fabric which control the sound internally can be seen round the
interior of the auditorium which helps with the sound absorption, and reduction of reflections.

Generally, the Church has a fair diffusive environment a sometimes, there is a lag or mixed sound
wave being sent to the congregation from the propagated source, which is on the altar. The
Reverberation effect in the auditorium is controlled. The absorption can be said to be Good,
considering the amount of reflected sound bounces is minimal. And finally, the reflective
property is a bit high sometime, not controlled I would say.

Kings Assembly
The plan has a good shape which enables the sound to travel first from the stage to the
back of the hall. Stage is made of rug.. which is a good sound absorber.. and is elevated so
the sound can reach the audience from the speaker at a comfortable level. Hall floor made
of ceramic tiles. The vertical walls are made of concrete and are very thick not made of
block but concrete and is doubled size of a 225mm block wall ... With the external walls and
windows positioned strategically to create good ambience and to prevent being a sound
reflector hence helping to balance the sound in that hall
Entrance doors are 75mm thick made from wood
Curtains are on each window and entrance made of glass to absorb sound and to create good
ambience in the hall when needed. Ceiling mad of pop and gypsum board. Also, good sound
absorbers... You can research more on ceiling

Generally, the Church has a good diffusive environment which makes one appreciate music when
played. The Reverberation effect in the auditorium is controlled, a plus property of the Kings
assembly auditorium. The absorption can be said to be Good, considering the amount of
reflected sound bounces is minimal. And finally, the reflective property is minimal.