Top Tips For The Best Architectural Acoustic Design
By akadmin
Published On April 3, 2019
Acoustics can make or break a space. If not, it can severely impact how a space is utilised. Before undertaking any architectural project, it is crucial to consider the acoustics and how you can ensure the sound spectrum remains as clear as possible for the space.
So, if you want to enhance the architectural acoustic design of a space, here are some of the top tips to follow to improve the sound spectrum.
Watch out for straight surfaces
Lots of straight surfaces can cause unwanted sound reflections; especially in parallel. This is because sound will reflect right back into the centre of the space as soon as it hits a straight surface. With this level of sound reflection, it can really confuse the audio clarity, making it muffled and muddy. If you want to improve sound quality opt for curvature or surface materials that absorb rather than reflect the sound.
Consider your obstructions
Low-frequency sounds can bend around objects. However high-frequency sounds cannot. When planning the best architectural acoustic design, consider what obstructions or objects may be in the way of the sound path and how they can affect the sound quality.
Think about echoing
Echoes are the noises of sound travelling after 30 milliseconds of each other. Echoes can be irritating (for example, in a conference meeting space), they can add to the noise pollution (separating a building into multiple flats), cause noise disturbance along corridors, impact upon privacy and they can distort sound quality (in a home cinema setting). Where possible, it is vital to diminish echoes.
Don’t take soundproofing too far
It is easy to think that the best sound quality will be the removal of all echoes and sound reflections. However, going too far with your soundproofing plan can actually deaden the sound. This can make the sound flat, artificial and the space loses its drama, clarity and ambience. Therefore, soundproofing should be on some walls and throughout the project, but it shouldn’t be on every surface. You still need some life and energy, so allow your sound to travel in some directions.
Consider different materials
Not all acoustic materials absorb all of the sound frequencies. In order to cover the range of sound frequencies, you may need to consider an array of different materials. An acoustic specialist, such as the team at Akinco, will be able to advise on the best materials and acoustic treatments that you should consider using during any architectural acoustic design project.
Contact Akinco
If you have a development project, or a space suffering from poor acoustics, contact us to see how we can assist via telephone: +9714-2690629 or email: info@akinco.ae
