Alangilan Campus

College of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design

LONG QUIZ 1
Second Semester, AY 2023-2024

Course Code ARCH 531

Course Title Building Utilities 3 – Acoustics and Lighting Systems
Section
Date
Time

SR-Code
Name of Student

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: Read the following questions very carefully. Always show your
solution. An answer without detailed solution will be considered as no points. Minimize
erasures as you are only permitted to answer within the test paper provided.
Use the absorption coefficient provided at the back.
Good luck and God bless!

1. Architect de la Cruz is designing a rectangular auditorium with dimensions 30 meters by

45 meters. The auditorium is intended to accommodate various events, from lectures to
performances, and requires careful consideration of its architectural elements, including
the ceiling height. To ensure optimal acoustics, comfort, and aesthetic appeal, de la Cruz
needs to determine the appropriate ceiling height for the auditorium. Compute for the
ceiling height of the auditorium using the large room ceiling ratio. (3 points)

SOLUTION:

STEP 1: USE LARGE ROOM CEILING RATIO BASED ON DISCUSSION.

LARGE RATIO: 1/3 OF THE WIDTH

𝟑𝟎 𝟏
STEP 2: H = 𝑿
𝟏 𝟑
𝟑𝟎
H=
𝟑
𝟑𝟎
H= 𝟑

H = 𝟏𝟎 mts

GCH Alangilan, Batangas City, Philippines +63 43 425 - 0139 loc. 2121

www.batstate-u.edu.ph cafad@g.batstate-u.edu.ph
 Alangilan Campus

College of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design

2. You're designing a 5-meter by 15-meter lecture hall, crucial for academic activities.
Determining the ceiling height is vital for creating an effective learning environment,
impacting acoustics, lighting, ventilation, and spatial experience. Your task is to calculate
the ideal ceiling height, considering factors like functionality, acoustics, lighting,
ventilation, accessibility, and aesthetics. Compute using the right ratio needed. (3 points)

SOLUTION:

STEP 1: USE SMALL ROOM CEILING RATIO BASED ON DISCUSSION.

LARGE RATIO: 2/3 OF THE WIDTH

𝟓 𝟐
STEP 2: H = 𝟏 𝑿 𝟑
𝟏𝟎
H= 𝟑

H = 𝟑. 𝟑𝟑 𝒎𝒕𝒔

3. Based on Question #1, Architect de la Cruz designed the seat rows to be 3.5 feet apart.
Compute for the distance needed for height of seat elevations when the speaker is located
9 feet above the floor level. (5 points)

STEP 1: FORMULA TO BE USED BASED ON DISCUSSION.

d = r(2.5h-1)

STEP 2: FIND THE GIVEN.

d= 3.5 ft (2.5x9-1)

d = 75.25 ft

4. Based on Question 1. Upon the design phase of the auditorium, the owner of the
auditorium requested that the overall look should have industrial themed, thus the
materials used for all of walls were painted unglazed bricks, the ceiling were panels of
Fiberglass Painted Ceiling Boards, textures 1/2" thk the flooring is rubber on concrete.
What would be the auditorium’s reverberation? Use the illustration below for reference:
(5 points)

GCH Alangilan, Batangas City, Philippines +63 43 425 - 0139 loc. 2121

www.batstate-u.edu.ph cafad@g.batstate-u.edu.ph
 Alangilan Campus

College of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design

STEP 1: KNOW THE FORMULA TO BE

USED:

𝑉
𝑇𝑅 = 𝐾 𝑥 𝛴𝑆𝛼 Sec since the given
measurements are in meters, K value would
be 0.16 while V is the volume of the room.

𝑽
So, in other words: 𝑻𝑹 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟔 𝒙
𝜮𝑺𝜶

STEP 2: GET THE VOLUME.

Formula for V= LxWxH. Length and width are both given. Ceiling height to be used is
the answer for Question 1 which is 17 mts.

So: L = 45M V=45 x 30 x 10

W= 30 M V= 13, 500𝒎𝟑
H = 10 M

STEP 3: DETERMINE THE MATERIAL USED.

Walls = Brick unglazed

Floors = Rubber on concrete
Ceiling = Fiberglass Painted Ceiling Boards, textures 1/2" thk

STEP 4: GET THE TOTAL SURFACE AREA PER MATERIAL

FOR WALLS: BRICK UNGLAZED, PAINTED

SURFACE 1= 30 X 10 SURFACE 2 = 45 X 10
= 300 = 450
= 300 x 2 SINCE 2 SIDES ARE EQUAL = 450 x 2 SINCE 2 SIDES ARE EQUAL
= 600 𝑚2 = 900 𝑚2

TOTAL SURFACE AREA OF WALLS

= 600 + 900
= 1500 𝒎𝟐

GCH Alangilan, Batangas City, Philippines +63 43 425 - 0139 loc. 2121

www.batstate-u.edu.ph cafad@g.batstate-u.edu.ph
 Alangilan Campus

College of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design

FOR CEILING: FIBERGLASS PAINTED CEILING BOARDS, TEXTURES 1/2"

THK

TOTAL SURFACE AREA OF CEILING

= 45 X 30
= 1,350 𝒎𝟐

FOR FLOOR: RUBBER ON CONCRETE

TOTAL SURFACE AREA OF CEILING

= 45 X 30
= 1,350 𝒎𝟐

STEP 5: LOOK AT THE ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT TABLE GIVEN, FIND

THE NRC AND MULTIPLY IT TO THE TOTAL SURFACE PER MATERIAL.

Walls = Brick unglazed painted (0.00)

Floors = Rubber on concrete (0.05)
Ceiling = Fiberglass Painted Ceiling Boards, textures 1/2" thk (0.85)

TSwall= 1500 𝒎𝟐 x 0.00

= 0

TSceiling= 1,350 x 0.85

= 1,147.5

TSfloors= 1,350 x 0.05

= 67.50

𝟏𝟑𝟓𝟎𝟎
STEP 6: 𝑻𝑹 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟔 𝒙 𝟎+𝟏,𝟏𝟒𝟕.𝟓𝟎+𝟔𝟕.𝟓𝟎

𝟏𝟑𝟓𝟎𝟎
𝑻𝑹 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟔 𝒙 𝟏,𝟐𝟏𝟓

𝑻𝑹 = 𝟏. 𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕/𝟏. 𝟕𝟖 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔

GCH Alangilan, Batangas City, Philippines +63 43 425 - 0139 loc. 2121

www.batstate-u.edu.ph cafad@g.batstate-u.edu.ph
 Alangilan Campus

College of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design

5. Based on Question 4. Compute for the new

reverberation if the auditorium would have
two sets of wooden double doors with the
dimensions of 4m x 2.10? (5 points)

STEP 1: GET THE TOTAL AREA OF TWO DOUBLE DOORS.

AREA OF DOOR = 4mx 2.10 m

= 8.40 𝒎𝟐 x 2 (since there are 2 double doors)
= 16.80 𝒎𝟐

STEP 2: GET THE ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT OF DOOR (SEE TABLE AND

MULTIPLY TO SURFACE AREA)

Wood = 0.10 NRC

AC= 16.80 x 0.10
AC= 1.68

STEP 3: USING THE TOTAL SURFACE AREA OF WALL ON THE QUESTION 4,

SUBTRACT THE TOTAL AREA OF THE DOOR. (SINCE THE DOOR IS ATTACHED
TO THE WALL.
NEW TOTAL SURFACE AREA FOR WALLS
= NRC of walls – NRC of doors
= 0– 1.68
=-1.68

GCH Alangilan, Batangas City, Philippines +63 43 425 - 0139 loc. 2121

www.batstate-u.edu.ph cafad@g.batstate-u.edu.ph
 Alangilan Campus

College of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design

STEP 4: USING THE VOLUME, ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT OF CEILING AND

WALLS ON QUESTION 4. FOR WALLS, USE THE ANSWER FROM STEP 3, ADD
THE DOOR COEFFICIENT FROM STEP 2. LAY DOWN THE FORMULA TO BE
USED.
𝟏𝟑𝟓𝟎𝟎
𝑻𝑹 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟔 𝒙
−𝟏. 𝟔𝟖 + 𝟎 + 𝟏𝟏𝟒𝟕. 𝟓 + 𝟔𝟕. 𝟓𝟎
𝟏𝟑𝟓𝟎𝟎
𝑻𝑹 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟔 𝒙
𝟏, 𝟐𝟏𝟑. 𝟑𝟐

𝑻𝑹 = 𝟏. 𝟕𝟖𝟎𝟐𝟑𝟗𝟑𝟒/𝟏. 𝟕𝟖 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔
6. If we have to put balcony recess on the auditorium based on Question #5, what would be
the maximum depth of the balcony recess for effective flow of sound under the balcony?
(4 points)

STEP 1: BASED ON DISCUSSION, USE THE FORMULA FOR BALCONY

RECESS
d <2h

Wherein, depth should be less than twice the height.

STEP 2: FOR THE HEIGHT, USE THE ANSWER ON QUESTION 1, WHICH IS 17m
= d < 2 (10m)
= d < 20
ANSWER: 19.99 MTS & below / <20 MTS

GCH Alangilan, Batangas City, Philippines +63 43 425 - 0139 loc. 2121

www.batstate-u.edu.ph cafad@g.batstate-u.edu.ph