Gary W. Siebein
Architecture Technol. Res. Ctr., Univ. of Florida, 231 ARCH, Gainesville, FL 32611-2004
This tutorial will familiarize people with basic concepts in architectural acoustics. Many slides of actual buildings and a brief audio tape will be used to illustrate connections between the visual appearance of buildings and the qualities of their sonic environment. The presentation will provide examples and explanations of common acoustic experiences in buildings with the under-lying reasons for their occurrence. Architectural acoustics can be characterized as an evolving, empirical exploration of basic principles from many areas of acoustics through creative testing in the design and subsequent evaluation of buildings. A historical review of applied acoustical principles translated into the medium of architecture will be presented in four primary areas: (1) subjective impressions, including qualities of music, speech intelligibility, and annoyance, which are the basis for current design criteria; (2) room acoustics design with an emphasis on auditoria, schools, restaurants, and other public buildings; (3) providing privacy from unwanted sounds and vibrations through discussion of standard measurement techniques such as sound transmission class (STC); and (4) management of noise from HVAC systems and other equipment and processes in buildings. Interesting case studies will demonstrate how complex the practical application of even relatively simple acoustical principles can be in many buildings. In recent years a significant community of laboratory and applied researchers dedicated to this field has emerged to question and quantify the empirical knowledge base that has been accumulated over time. Recent topics of interest such as new measurement, modeling and simulation techniques will be briefly introduced.