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Case Study: Conference Room

Comia | Dimaculangan | Natiola | Nobles | Olaez | Vitug

What is a conference room?


A

conference hall or conference room is a room provided for singular events such as business conferences and meetings. It is commonly found at large hotels and convention centers though many other establishments, including even hospitals, have one.

Activity

A conference room is important in terms of communication, both internally and externally. The design of the conference room can effectively communicate the company's values. A conference room hosts meetings where everyone around the table must be able to hear and be heard, making speech clarity a crucial element. Good sound insulation is also necessary in order to achieve privacy.

A conference room is designed for two acoustic purposes


Confine

sound within the walls so people on the outside cannot hear what is said inside; Create a good environment for conversations, both those made within and those made through a speakerphone or similar.

Acoustics in Conference rooms

When designing a room for speech it is important to give consideration to how the room will sound at the early design stage on order to optimize speech intelligibility. The acoustic design should give consideration to the following factor:

Indoor ambient noise levels/ sound isolation Reverberation time and hence, room size and acoustic absorption required. Room geometry reflections HVAC System

INDOOR AMBIENT NOISE LEVELS


One of the most critical elements in room design as the speakers voice needs to be clearly heard above the background noise. This will assist with speech intelligibility but also prevent undue strain to the speaker and will minimize distraction.

Background noise can come from a number of sources:

External traffic, planes and trains etc. entering via external walls and windows. Noise from circulation corridors, foyers, toilets within the same or adjacent development. Air conditioning and mechanical plant serving the room.

SOUND ISOLATION
Sound

isolation means exactly what the term implies that the room needs to be acoustically isolated from outside noise, and that it needs to stop private conversations from being heard outside the room. It is important that sound generated from outside the Conference Room not be transmitted into the room.

SOUND ISOLATION
External

sounds can come from any direction, so floors, walls and ceilings all play a major role in isolating the room from sound disturbances. The higher the Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating of a surface, the better that surface is for isolating external sounds.

SOUND ISOLATION
Initially,

the designer should review the site layout. If possible, position the room away from busy roads or other noisy areas. For instance, allow for a circulation corridor or storeroom between the lecture room and another noisy space like a canteen. Appropriate placement on architectural plans during the design phase can provide a significant saving in noise control treatment during construction.

REVERBERATION TIME
Speech

intelligibility is also a function of the Reverberation Time (RT). RT is a parameter that objectively describes the echoic quality of a room.

A suspended ceiling will block intruding noise and absorb sound within the room minimizing reverberation.

Proper

wall construction that extends above the ceiling to the deck can preserve privacy and reduce intruding distractions. addition of wall treatments can further reduce reverberation and enhance speech privacy.

The

Sound Absorption

Room Geometry
The

shape of the room, the location of its surfaces and whether these surfaces are absorptive or reflective, all determine the loudness of the speech signal and contribute to its intelligibility. As the room size increases, the greater the reliance on the room geometry to provide an appropriate environment. Communication is further compromised if the boardroom is excessively reverberant, impacting not only communication within the room but also the sound quality at the other end of a teleconference or video conference.

Sound Reflection

1. Direct sound; reections by: 2. ceiling; 3. walls; 4. oors; 5. smooth surfaces (windows)

HVAC Systems
Heating,

ventilation and air conditioning systems are often a source of undesirable sound in a Conference Room.

Case Study
A

new 3 story building was constructed for an organization that deals with advocacy, policies, group risk management administration and other services for member organizations. The management and staff both require privacy due to sensitivity of the members information handled by the organization. The entry reception lobby is a two story atrium, open to ground level and the floor above. The owner occupants planned and constructed a mixture of perimeter private offices (enclosed), cubicles, and conference rooms and various other interior rooms for work, lounge/ break, storage and support spaces on each of the three floors.

Architectural Finishes and Furnishes

Acoustical Issues
Speech

Privacy and distracting intrusive noise in conference rooms; causing loss of confidentiality for sensitive information and speech interference in conference communications. Distractions included conversational speech, telephone/ speakerphone use and business machine noise from adjacent offices and occupant speech and activity generated noise from nearby open-offices.

Observations
Conference

Rooms: Partitions are not adequately sealed at intersections with exterior window mullions. In locations where partitions do not extend above ceilings, return air openings in soffits permit cross-talk flanking sound.

Acoustical Recommendations
Sound Isolation- privacy and freedom from intrusive noise

Isolate sensitive spaces and functions. Conference rooms diminishing partition intersections with window mullions: Use acoustical sealant or permanently pliable fire caulk to seal gap between mullion and partition. Conference Room ceiling soffit with return air slot: Block ceiling plenum path Conference room doors: Install Acoustical seals on heads, jambs and thresholds to replace existing brush pile infiltration seals or silencer bumpers.

SUMMARY
The design process should flow the following order: Determine what the internal noise levels should be and select constructions for the building envelope based on the external noise resources affecting the space. Arrive at an appropriate reverberation time design criterion and determine how much acoustic treatment will be required in addition to the audience.

SUMMARY
A properly designed Conference Room will take into account factors that can detrimentally affect acoustic properties. By designing surfaces and barriers that have higher STC ratings, by installing sound absorbing materials on walls, floors and ceilings, and by paying careful attention to locating HVAC and other mechanical systems, a designer can achieve room design that provides and acoustically pleasant environment.

SUMMARY
Successful

acoustical design is a detailoriented process, both in terms of specification and construction. Careful material and systems specifications are imperative, as are good construction practices. The key to success is careful attention to detail during all phases of planning, design and construction.

THANK YOU!

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