Evidence Based Design for Healthcare Acoustics
In their November 2010 issue, Healthcare Design Magazine published an article entitled, “Too Noisy to Heal,” written by Dr. Erica Ryherd of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Ryherd lays out...
View ArticleLEED for Healthcare Acoustic Points
The new LEED for Healthcare system allows up to two points for acoustics under the IEQ Credit 2 Acoustic Environment. Its intent is to “provide building occupants with an indoor healing environment...
View ArticleQuality, Service, and Price – How Acoustical Consultants Stack Up
Recently a client called to say they were trying to make a decision between our acoustical engineering firm and another acoustician for a church project they were working on. The client had received...
View ArticleThe National Council of Acoustical Consultants & the American Institute of...
The National Council of Acoustical Consultants (NCAC) is the only North American organization fully devoted to certifying the credentials of acoustical consultants. Kenric Van Wyk, President of...
View ArticleToilet Noise Mitigation
The other day at a popular chain restaurant, I dropped by the restroom before a long ride home. I’ve heard some loud toilet flushes in my day, and this one was right up there with the loudest of them....
View ArticleA Tale of Two Halls
I recently attended concerts at two out-of-state prestigious university level music schools, and from a noise control point of view, the auditoria couldn’t have been more different. While the room...
View ArticleCorporate Videoconference Guidelines & Recommendations – Part 1
Teleconferencing requires hearing the voice, so it should follow that videoconferencing requires seeing the people, right? Not so much. Videoconferencing actually requires a finer level of detail – it...
View ArticleCorporate Videoconference Guidelines & Recommendations – Part 2
Good communication can be difficult, especially over long distances. This is why we still get on airplanes and travel to meet face to face. Videoconferencing saves the travel costs, and it still gives...
View ArticleIs It Really Sound Proof? Mixed Use Developments
Mixed use developments need to have the proper noise isolation partitions and the proper expectations for tenants. “I can hear their music and their phone ringing; I can even hear them repeat the...
View ArticleAcoustical Solutions for Cafetoriums and Gymnatoria
Multi-use school facilities (such as “cafetoriums” – cafeterias that double as auditoriums) are popping up all over Michigan because they save space and save money. But many schools are finding that...
View ArticleStudent Job Shadows as an Acoustical Engineer
Many high school students have never heard of the “acoustical engineering” field so when local student Jordan Van Buskirk (a Senior at Western Michigan Christian High School) asked his teacher about...
View ArticleHow It Works: Acoustical Points in LEED for Health Care
Good News… after long delays, LEED for Health Care was finally released for public consumption! This blog provides a basic overview of how to meet the new acoustical requirements in LEED HC. In fact,...
View ArticleDigital Signage Systems for Hotels & Convention Facilities
Ever been in a large convention facility for the first time? Running a bit late and don’t know what room your meeting is in? Even if you have the room number, is the signage good enough to point you...
View ArticleThe ABCs of Open Office Acoustics
Open office spaces with movable partitions and reconfigurable workstations have become more than a hot trend in office facility design; they have become the new normal. As acoustical consultants, we...
View ArticleMedicare Funding Linked To Patient Satisfaction Scores
How important is acoustics in hospitals? Just ask Medicare. A recent Washington Post article highlights how Medicare reimbursement payments for hospitals will be linked to patient satisfaction scores...
View ArticleHow Many Lumens Do I Need? Tips for Selecting Projector Brightness
We all have seen nice big projector screens that have an image that is just too dim to be clearly seen. To protect against this occurrence, we set a target brightness level during the design process,...
View ArticleDavid Byrne of Talking Heads Talks About Acoustics
In this TED Conference video, David Byrne, lead singer of Talking Heads, gives us a brief a history of music and how it evolved in relation to architectural acoustics and reverberation. Worth the...
View ArticleHIPAA Speech Privacy Acoustics
Standing atop my soapbox and surveying the healthcare land as we know it, I can declare at the top of my lungs, “I have a right to be heard… er, NOT HEARD… wait, wait… I have a right that a reasonable...
View ArticleHow to Sound Like Charlie Brown’s Teacher
Back when I was in grade school, I loved the animated Charlie Brown shows. I have particular memories of the scenes in class where the kids’ teacher would address them: “Wa Wa Wa, Wa, Wa Wa Wa, Wa.”...
View ArticleWhy Video is Essential for Webinars
When we receive lunch and learn requests, we take into account how much time is involved. Travel to another office, planning lunch, and cleanup are all part of the “1 hour” equation. Can the four or...
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