AcousticsHistorical Overview

Acoustical Design
Acoustics Fundamentals

Historic Overview
Greek Theatre
Open air
Direct sound path
No sound reinforcement
Minimal reverberation

S: p. 785, F.18.17a

Historic Overview
1st Century AD
Vitruvius: 10 Books of Architecture
Sound reinforcement
Reverberation

S: p. 785, F.18.17b

Historic Overview
Today
Research to improve conditions for
Industrial noise
Hearing risks
Construction noise
Public health

Architects Role

Source
slight

Path
major design
influence

Receiver
primarily interest

Acoustical Design
Proper acoustical planning
eliminates many acoustical problems
before they are built
Lee Irvine

Acoustical Design
Relationships
Site
Location
Orientation
Planning
Internal Layout

Site
Match site to application
Match application to site

Site
Factory:
Close to RR/Hwy
Seismic

Site
Rest Home:
Traffic Noise
Outdoor Use
Contact/Isolation

Site
Concert Hall:
Use building as isolator
Distance from noise

Location
Take advantage of distance/barriers

Distance

Location
Take advantage of distance/barriers

Natural or Man-made Berm

Location
Take advantage of distance/barriers

Acoustical Barriers

Location
Take advantage of distance/barriers

Building

Orientation
Orient Building for Acoustical
Advantage

Playground

School

Orientation
Orient Building for Acoustical
Advantage

Parking Lot

Office

Note: Sound is 3-dimensional,

check overhead for
flight paths

Factory

Planning
Consider Acoustical Sensitivity of
Activities
Noisy

Quiet

Barrier

Planning
Consider Acoustical Sensitivity of
Activities

Critical

Non-Critical
Noise

Internal Layout
Each room has
needs that can be
met by room
layout

I: p.116 F.5-12

Basic Acoustic Goals

1.
2.

3.
4.

Provide adequate isolation

Provide appropriate acoustic
environment
Provide appropriate internal function
Integrate 1-3 amongst themselves and
into comprehensive architectural
design

Sound
Mechanical vibration, physical wave or
series of pressure vibrations in an
elastic medium
Described in Hertz (cycles per second)
Range of hearing: 20-20,000 hz

Noise
Any unwanted sound

Sound Propagation
Sound travels at different speeds
through various media.
Media

Speed (C)

Air:
1,130 fps
Water: 4,625 fps
Wood: 10,825 fps
Steel: 16,000 fps

Sound Magnitude
Sound Power (P)
Sound Intensity (I)

Sound Power
Energy radiating from a point source in
space.
Expressed as watts

S: p. 750, F.17.9

Sound Intensity
Sound power distributed over an area
I=P/A
I: sound (power) intensity, W/cm2
P: acoustic power, watts
A: area (cm2)

Intensity Level
Level of sound relative to a base reference

10 million million: one

S: p. 750, T.17.2

Intensity Level Scale

Change
Changes are measured in decibels
scale change
3 dB
6 dB
7 dB

subjective loudness
barely perceptible
perceptible
clearly perceptible

Note: round off to nearest whole

number

Perceive
d Sound
Dominant
frequencie
s affect
sound
perception

S: p. 747, F.17.8