Acoustical design of

room
CHAPTER 6
ROSELLE B. SILLO
BUILDING UTILITIES 111
Planning for good acoustics
 Steps in planning for good acoustic

1.selection of the site in the quietest surroundings.

2. making of a noise survey to determine how much

sound insulation must be needed.

3. arrangement of the rooms within the building.

4. selection of the proper sound-insulation
materials.

5. design of the size of each room.

6. selection and distribution of the absorptive and

reflective materials .

7. installation of sound-amplification equipment

must be under the supervision of a competent
engineer.
 In the design for rooms
intended for speaking
purposes the prime
objective is the realization
of conditions that will
provide good intelligibility
of speech sounds.
 In the design of music room
the prime objective is the
most favorable enrichment
of the total quality and
tonal blending of the sounds.
Good acoustical planning is based:

 insulation
 transmission
 absorption
 reflection
 diffusion
 and hearing of sound.
1. insulation-applying a material or substance that reduces heat

2. Transmission-an act by which something is passed or spread to another

3. Absorption-the process of absorbing radiant energy or sound wave

4. reflection-the action of bending or reflecting of sound wave

5. diffusion-reflection of sound by a rough surface

Things to consider in designing a room shape:

1. FLOOR PLAN
2. ELEVATION OF SEATS
3. CEILINGS
4. SIDE WALLS
5. REAR WALL
6. BALCONY RECESS
1.Floor plan
Circular and elliptically shaped floor plans nearly always
give rise to focusing effects, non-uniform distribution of
sound, and echoes.
2.ELEVATION OF SEATS

Since an audience constitutes a highly absorptive surface, sound

waves which graze it are greatly attenuated. Hence, it is good
design in an auditorium, from the standpoint of hearing as well
as of seeing, to elevate the seats in order to provide a free flow
of direct sound from the source to the listeners. A good line of
sight will do this.
3. CEILINGS
The ceiling and walls should provide favorable reflections of
sound, especially for the seats far removed from the stage. In
some instances, the ceiling also should aid in the diffusion of
sound.
4.SIDE WALLS
The side walls should reinforce the sound that reaches
the rear parts of a large room. This is especially desirable
for auditoriums in which a sound-amplification

Splay
- a sloping or beveled surface or angle as of the side of a
doorway, a spreading expansion, enlargement
5. Rear walls
In the design of all rooms, large concave rear walls should
be avoided.

Unfortunately, they are of common occurrence because it

seems so simple and economical to most architects to have
the rear wall follow the curvature of the last row of seats.
Walls with this shape are responsible for troublesome
echoes and delayed reflections in many theaters and
auditoriums.
6. BALCONY RECESS
Good design of a balcony recess usually requires a
shallow depth and a high openings. For an auditorium or
legitimate theater, the depth should not exceed twice the
height of the opening.
VOLUME PER SEAT
THE MOST DESIRABLE VOLUME FOR
A ROOM IS CLOSEDLY CORRELATED
WITH THE DESIGN OF THE CEILING.
 THEOPTIMUM VOLUME PER SEAT
FOR A ROOM IS THE LOWEST
VALUE CONSISTENT WITH THE
VISUAL AND AESTHETIC
REQUIREMENT, WITH THE
COMLFORTV OF THE AUDIENCE ,
AND WITH THE GENERAL
APPEARANCE.
Control of Reverberation
 The reverberation characteristics of a room can be
controlled by the amount and placement of absorptive
material within it. Proper distribution of the absorption
aids in controlling the diffusion of sound.
 END!
THANK YOU MAAM
GODBLESS!