One of the many considerations in designing or retrofitting existing performance hall space is that of acoustics. Many of us have only rarely thought about this topic, but we have surely enjoyed a musical performance onstage at some point in our lives. The sound almost seems to take hold of you beyond just what you hear. Likewise, we’ve been at other events where the speaker was mumbling words far away on stage and been frustrated because we just could not understand.
Acoustics is the science of sound and there are many forms of study under this category, including applications in medicine, animal science and musical instrument engineering. Our experience has been in architectural acoustics, which includes the design of performance spaces.
What makes the perfect acoustic, according to science? is an article that attempts to summarize the “ingredients” for an ideal experience.
- The shape of the building itself is key, with the author believing a shoe box shape best.
- Materials used. Hard surfaces reflect sound and soft materials absorb it.
- Loudness, meaning the audience hears what the composer means them to hear in a piece, either dramatic and loud, or quiet yet clear.
- The perfect music. Composers sometimes wrote music with the acoustics of a specific hall in mind.
- No unwanted sound, either inside or outside the hall itself.
- Reverberation, or the length of time it takes for the sound to disappear within a room.
We partner with architects who study how to design buildings and other spaces that have pleasing sound quality and safe sound levels.
Are you looking to improve your performance hall or worship center with better acoustics? We have decades of experience helping our clients build new or retrofit existing spaces for maximum acoustic impact.
Contact us today to start the conversation.
