With an ever-increasing interest in constructing buildings close to hectic traffic corridors, intrusive vibrations and noise have emerged as major concerns for designers. We will discuss the basic mechanisms of vibration, noise generation, structural transmission, criteria for evaluating the potential problems, and the means for addressing these issues.
This session will focus on achieving speech privacy in both open and closed offices. The emphasis will be on practical design options: for open plan offices, we will discuss how specific workstation configurations can reduce unwanted noise and allow for speech privacy. For instance, ceiling finishes and sound masking systems work together to minimize audible distractions. For closed offices, the focus will be on walls and ceilings. So when does it make sense to run drywall to the deck, and when is it acceptable to stop 6” above the ceiling line? Find out by attending this presentation.
Whether a new luxury high-rise, a century-old textile mill conversion, or a market-rate apartment building, every multi-family residential development brings a collection of acoustical challenges. Case studies will focus on sound isolation between dwelling units, around public and service areas, and at mechanical spaces. It is not surprising that as housing prices have gone up, so have people’s expectations for peace and quiet, along with their demands for reasonable levels of privacy. Neighbors are noisier than ever before, blasting action film soundtracks over multi-channel home entertainment systems while exercising on home gym equipment late at night. And, lighter building constructions are saving money, but make acoustical isolation more difficult. Based on practical examples, we will look at cost-effective ways to address the acoustical challenges presented in today’s multi-unit residences.
Acoustical products and design innovations can add up to a huge payoff when seeking LEED certification. Learn how ecologically friendly acoustical materials and proper implementation can increase the number of LEED points for new construction and building renovation projects.
Universities, corporations, and healthcare institutions are increasingly providing live or recorded lecture videos to not only students and colleagues but also a wide range of on and off campus audiences. This content may be produced in a purpose-built video studio, or it may be captured during a conventional in-person classroom lecture. It may be distributed live to participatory audiences around the world (Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOC) or recorded for on-demand use (classroom capture). This seminar covers the acoustical, audiovisual, and information technology requirements for studios and lecture rooms used to produce video content. For instance, careful room acoustics design and quiet background noise are required to ensure speech intelligibility for both in-room and remote audiences. Cameras and microphones must be selected and placed with care, and a dedicated control room is often required. Content capture and distribution requires specialized information technology design. The Seminar will include a live demonstration.
America’s Baby Boomers are entering retirement and many are starting to think about the next stage of their lives. Retirement communities and senior living facilities have seen a marked population increase in the past decade, and that trend is expected to continue. When planning a new facility for seniors, there are special technology and acoustic considerations — these aren’t your typical multi-family projects. In this session, we will discuss how new FGI guidelines apply to senior living facilities, skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, and hospitals, as well as how to address the unique acoustics requirements of an aging population. We will also discuss how technology is being increasingly used as a method to aid in the delivery of patient care.
More and more clients are requesting the collaborative spaces from designers. This includes both collaborating with each other within the same room, and collaborating with peers across the globe. Sometimes this is a flexible-use space that allows users to mobilize and have group discussions, and other times it is more of a lecture-style space that must also accommodate for group discussions from the audience. These rooms not only have technology requirements to house, but also have acoustic challenges that need to be addressed in order to make these rooms successful. Acoustics, noise control, room size/shape, and thoughtful AV design greatly enhance the professors’, students’, and distant learners’ experiences and, in many instances, make the difference between a favored room and an unused room. We will describe what those requirements and challenges are and give you some tools to help create a space your clients will enjoy using. Numerous project examples will be shown, along with demonstrations of online collaboration tools.
Flipped Classrooms and flexible collaboration spaces are of increasing importance in Higher Education and Corporate facilities. Their successful implementation are the result of many factors, including a well tuned acoustical environment and the availability of reliable technology users want to use. This presentation will focus on approaches and techniques required to create a successful acoustical environment with proper technology infrastructure. The presentation also includes a survey of current presentation technologies intended for these applications.
The National Fire Protection Association mandates that within public acoustically distinguishable spaces (ADS) where voice communication systems are required, the system can reproduce pre-recorded, synthesized, or live messages with voice intelligibility. Meeting NFPA’s criteria requires careful design, especially for facilities with acoustically dissimilar spaces, like mass transit, healthcare, higher education, and convention centers. A case study describes the process of achieving voice intelligibility in ADS from preliminary design to final testing.
We are happy to host you at one of our office locations for a complimentary Lunch and Learn session, or travel locally to your office.
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