Acoustics

 __**Acoustics**__

**Speed**  is the distance travelled in unit time (m/s). For example, if you travel one hundred meters in one hour, you’re going at a speed of 100 m/s. Reverberance is linked to the speed at which sound energy disappears in a room. An unfurnished room with hard surfaces, such as a church, is perceived as being more reverberant than a well-furnished living room.
 * Frequency ** in sound, is the number of how many complete cycles of one wave happen in one second (Hz).
 * Wavelength ** is the distance between matching points on the wave (m), short waves have high frequencies, and long waves have long frequencies.
 * Longitudinal** is the type of vibration that goes parallel to the travel direction of a wave.
 * Transverse ** is the type of vibration that goes at right angle to the travel direction of a wave.
 * Reverberation time: **The sound-absorbing ceiling will interact with the sound-dispersing (scattering) furnishings in the room. The more sound-dispersing (scattering) objects there are, the greater the benefit of the ceiling. In a sparsely furnished room, the reverberation time can be long as the sound energy lingers between sound-reflecting walls.



Room acoustics are about the way in which sound behaves in a room. Sound transmission, sound absorption, sound reflection and sound diffusion are all aspects that are important here. Room acoustics also include how we as humans perceive different acoustic phenomena. The field of building acoustics covers sound insulation too, where the route that the sound takes from the room to other areas is included. Sound transmission, sound absorption, sound reflection and sound diffusion are all aspects of room acoustics
 * Sound level: **The sound level that is constantly generated in the room will, on the other hand, be effectively dealt with by the ceiling and be less dependent on sound-dispersing (scattering) objects. A sound absorption class A product provides the most effective decrease of the sound level.
 * Speech clarity: **<span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> Suspended ceilings have a positive effect on speech clarity by reducing the reverberance in the room. A good, effective, sound-absorbing ceiling contributes to a good relation between early and late sound reflections in such a way as to benefit speech clarity. <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">
 * <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">What are room acoustics? **<span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">

In many environments where people are present and communicate, high sound levels are perceived as one of the most disturbing factors. High noise levels have a negative effect on us and affect health, communication, safety, economy (effectiveness/productivity), learning and general wellbeing. It is therefore important that you as an architect remember that room acoustic comfort does not only involve a certain reverberation time. To reduce sound levels, it is important to consider other descriptors that are directly linked to sound levels, such as Strength (G). <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">The reverberation time is decided by: <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;"> - Added absorption and how it is placed - The quantity and placing of sound-scattering objects such as furniture, shelves etc. - The size and shape of the room The sound level is essentially determined by: - The amount of absorption <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">Clarity of speech is essentially determined by: <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;"> - Early sound reflections in relation to late sound reflections - Background noise Room Acoustic Comfort means that, when performing an evaluation of room acoustics, it is important to take into account different types of rooms and what people do there. Give priority to the different acoustic properties such as reverberance, speech clarity and sound level, depending on what the room is used for.
 * <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">What do you as an architect need to consider regarding Room Acoustic Comfort? **<span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">

<span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">For example: <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;"> <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: ES-VE; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">Sound level reduction will be most important in a kindergarten. <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: ES-VE; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">In a music room, the response of the room in the form of reverberance can be the most important aspect. <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: ES-VE; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">In a teaching situation, it is important to give priority both to speech clarity and to reduction of sound level. <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: ES-VE; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">In an open office landscape, it is essential that the sound propagation is restricted in order to minimise disturbance, mainly between different work groups. It is important that the sound level falls quickly with distance.