The Tufts University Science and Engineering Complex (SEC) is a renovation and expansion project that serves researchers, faculty, and students of multiple disciplines. Acentech was selected to provide acoustics and vibration consulting for this STEM facility.
As an interdisciplinary research facility, the classrooms and labs now accommodate a myriad of disciplines. Physics, mathematics, biology, and neurology can be taught and conduct experiments in the same rooms. Designing spaces that emphasize collaboration between these areas of study allows students and faculty to rethink the lines between traditional disciplines.
The SEC’s light-filled atrium also presents a unique opportunity to foster a collaborative approach to campus life. Outfitted with a lounge area, café, and informal study spaces in its first floor atrium, this central artery within the building welcomes students from every major. Acentech teamed with the architects to control the atrium acoustics to improve the usability of the space. With proper acoustics and vibration mitigation techniques in mind, the SEC serves as a model for how to create a building suitable for multiple types of scientific research.
