One night I awoke to what sounded like a woman screaming outside. I jumped to the window to see if I could find her. I couldn’t see anyone, but I could still hear the high-pitched scream. Eeeee, Eeeee, Eeeee. Over and over in an equal rhythm. I turned to see if my husband heard it, and I realized that the noise was coming from him as he slept…his nose whistled as he breathed in and out.

Even the smallest sound can be deceiving. It can be annoying, disruptive, and even unhealthy. But, in the right circumstances, sound can be beautiful, informative, and entertaining. Architecturally, sound can make or break the experience for the building occupant.

More than ever, architects realize their role and responsibility to address acoustics in their designs. In our recent surveys, most architects, about 87%, consider sound control in their designs. But only 43% use an acoustical consultant.

I talked with Jay Perdue, owner of Perdue Acoustics, to learn more about how sound is addressed in architectural design. I learned that a proper acoustical plan should consider not only the sound coming from an adjacent space but also the sound generated within the space.

Perdue specializes in ensuring that the sound created within the space supports the room’s purpose. As Jay explains, “Form should always follow function. A school’s number one reason for being in existence is to communicate. A teacher cannot effectively communicate to the students in a room with bad acoustics.”

Jay holds more patents in architectural acoustics than anyone on record, and he continues to innovate, even after decades of research and development. He says, “It’s absurd to think that the 100-year-old system of absorption and the 50+ year-old system of NRC is adequate for effective acoustical designs in a twenty-first century environment.”

In my conversations with Jay and his team, I learned that 94% of new customers hire Perdue to fix an acoustic problem in a completed project. That orchestra hall may be beautifully designed but if you can’t hear the symphony distinctly, the project doesn’t serve its purpose. Correcting the problem after-the-fact is always more expensive than implementing an acoustical plan from the beginning. Jay says “When no one notices (the sound), it means you’ve done a great job.”

I learned that every space has hard, reflective surfaces that boom and echo. Sound will bounce off parallel walls, and you need a surface to absorb. Based on the use of the space and the architects design, an acoustical plan for the room considers when to: absorb, reflect, and diffuse.

Absorbers absorb the sound and prevent it from bouncing off those hard surfaces. Large, soft, 2’ x 4’ half-cylinders or soft wedges that provide hills and valleys.

Reflectors project quality sound from an area like a stage to all areas of an audience. Great for performance halls. Vary in size and shape based on the needs of the venue.

Diffusers scatter sound in a live environment. Corrugated wedges with lots of cavities that are mathematical in size for the range of frequencies.

Based on the use of the room, one or more of these three-dimensional product solutions may be implemented. One of the Perdue team members explained that these elements can be incorporated into the architect’s design including brand colors or printed panels featuring a school mascot, a logo, or art. General Motors headquarters uses the panels to feature the current year’s Camaro.   

In summary, an acoustical plan should:

• involve an acoustical professional in the design stage,
• not only consider the sound from adjacent spaces but also the sound behavior within the space,
• ensure that the room allows its occupants to use it as intended, and,
• allow sound to be intelligible and beautiful...never distracting, annoying, or harmful.     

Next time you’re irritated by even the smallest sound (like your spouse’s nose whistle), remember how important it is to implement an acoustical plan into your designs.

FYI: Jay Perdue and his team offers acoustical consulting and plan reviews at no charge. You can reach them at 800-729-9402 or info@perdueacoustics.com.