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AB AUG-acoustics 7/11/02 10:58 AM Page 67
F A C I L I T Y P L A N N I N G
Gymnasiums,
natatoriums and
lobbies can be notorious
echo chambers, but
panels, baffles, banners
and blocks can help turn
down the volume.
Photo by Merle Prosofsky, courtesy of Cannon Johnston Sport Architecture
W alk into the 15,000-square-foot aquatic
center at the Margaret W. Carpenter
Recreation Center in Thornton, Colo., and just
listen. There’s plenty you won’t hear — ampli-
fied echoes, shouted conversations, splashes
that sound like firecrackers. “It’s not like you
can hear a pin drop. But it’s never too loud,
DRAPED BANNERS COVERING THE ROOF except when you turn on the wave machine
DECK AT THE COLLICUTT CENTRE IN RED and you get 200 kids screaming,” says Jan van
DEER, ALBERTA, HELP ABSORB LOUD SOUNDS BY MICHAEL der Sanden, recreation programs and facility
IN ITS EXPANSIVE INDOOR AQUATIC CENTER. POPKE
August 2002 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 67
AB AUG-acoustics 7/11/02 1:42 PM Page 68
done. A lot of times, the solution is
impractical because you would have to
destroy part of the building, but there is a
solution. That’s why these things should
be tackled in the design phase.”
Indeed, ask facility operators what they
would do differently if given the opportu-
nity to rebuild, and many of them say
they’d pay more attention to acoustical
Photo by Stephen J. Swalwell/Architectural Foto Graphics, courtesy of Treanor Architects P.A.
treatments in high-traffic areas — and
implore their architects to do the same.
Not every facility puts a priority on
acoustics. For proof, just visit a handful of
facilities and note the acoustical differ-
ences inside each one. But for operators
who want to improve the quality of a
user’s experience, enhanced acoustics go
a long way toward achieving that.
“It’s a very subjective thing,” David
Marsh, vice president of acoustics consul-
tant Pelton Marsh Kinsella in Dallas, says
PAINTED SOUND-ABSORBING WALL PANELS SURROUND THE POOL about the decision to improve acoustics
AREA AT THE LAWRENCE (KAN.) INDOOR AQUATIC CENTER. in an existing facility. “But if you’re in a
money-making situation and people are
supervisor for the City of Thornton, who complaining about the acoustics, you had
even goes so far as to describe the eight- better do something about it.”
year-old natatorium’s atmosphere as
“calm.” “If you’re in a Building acoustical treatments into a
The secret behind the facility’s sound facility’s original design phase is usually
environment is an abundance of perfo-
rated metal ceiling panels with glass-fiber-
money-making more cost-efficient and will most likely
save staff members numerous headaches
filled flutes that absorb much of the noise (both literally and figuratively). But if it’s
reflecting off the concrete deck, walls and
situation and too late for that, consider these other
floor-to-ceiling windows. Used in place of options.
an exposed metal roof deck, which typi- people are In gymnasiums and pool areas, the goal
cally absorbs less than 2 percent of all when improving acoustics should simply
sounds, perforated panels can absorb up complaining about be reducing reverberation times — mean-
to 90 percent of the noise in a given space, ing the span of time that noise hangs in
says Jeff Teel, an acoustics consultant at the acoustics, you the air — to about two seconds. With so
Acoustical Design Group in Mission, Kan. many hard surfaces in a natatorium, that’s
But perforated panels are just one of
many treatments available these days to
had better do a big challenge — especially when you
consider that the only feasible solution
enhance acoustics in a facility’s loudest involves reinforcing the ceiling deck and
spaces. Other options include spray-on
something perhaps a wall or two. That’s why many
coatings and sound-absorbing baffles and aquatic centers have a reverb time of
banners, plus carpet and furniture in lob- about it.” eight or more seconds.
bies and even specially developed wood Because the ceiling boasts the largest
and masonry block. The spaces in which treatable surface, it should be given the
effective acoustics are the most crucial are
also the ones where achieving the desired
sound can be the most challenging: natato-
riums, gymnasiums and lobbies.
In typical gymnasiums and natatori-
ums, hard reflective surfaces — water,
concrete, wood, metal and glass among
them — bounce sound waves between
each other, creating a cacophony of
echoes that inhibit everything from casual
conversations to lifeguard commands. In
lobbies, the effects of poor acoustics
aren’t quite as dramatic, but treatment
possibilities in those areas pose greater
aesthetic issues.
Photo by Chris J. Roberts, courtesy of ARC Architects
“Every acoustical problem has a solu-
tion,” says Teel, who estimates that one
out of every five jobs his firm tackles
involves facilities in which designers origi-
nally didn’t pay sufficient attention to SPECIALLY DESIGNED CONCRETE ALONG THE UPPER HALF
acoustics and that now require sound OF THE B.E.S.T. ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM
enhancements. “I have yet to run into a IN KIRKLAND, WASH., SERVES AS A SOUND DEADENER.
project where there’s nothing that can be
68 ATHLETIC BUSINESS August 2002 www.athleticbusiness.com
AB AUG-acoustics 7/11/02 10:59 AM Page 70
highest priority. An acoustical THE LARGER THE DUCT ety of colors and finishes.
deck, similar to the one in OPENINGS IN A Yet another option for ceil-
place at the Carpenter Recre- NATATORIUM, THE ings and walls is spray-on,
ation Center, often acts as QUIETER THE AIR (usually) acrylic-based adhe-
both a sound enhancer and a EXCHANGE, AS IN THE sives. Sprays provide a mini-
structural roof panel. This NATATORIUM AT THE mum of 65 percent noise
style of deck, typically with a GENOVEVA CHAVEZ reduction, which is enough to
thickness ranging from 2 to COMMUNITY CENTER keep the sound lively without
312 inches, conceals an other- IN SANTA FE, N.M.
⁄ deadening it too much. Aes-
wise exposed metal ceiling THE WALLS AND thetically, spray-on surfaces
deck. For logistical purposes, CEILING ARE ALSO dry with a coarse texture
acoustical decks must be built TREATED WITH (think fireproofing material)
into the plans at the design PERFORATED METAL and provide a much different
phase, and they cost about TO ABSORB SOUND. — and arguably less pleasing
twice as much as standard — aesthetic environment than
roof decks. panels. Applicable to most any
Consultants disagree on surface (plasterboard, masonry,
whether panels need to cover metal), spray-on treatments
100 percent of a ceiling’s sur- can also be painted or custom
face. Some contend that only colored.
about 25 percent of the sur- The installation costs for
face’s square footage needs to acoustical treatments vary
be covered — especially if widely, but wall panels and
some of the area’s walls can spray-on materials can begin at
be treated with similar panels. just a few dollars per square
When applying panels to foot. At the Bob L. Burger
walls, however, caution Recreation Center in Lafayette,
should be taken to ensure Colo., for example, consultants
that the panels are installed at have suggested applying sound
least 8 feet above the gym panels on the walls of the facil-
floor or pool deck to avoid ity’s 12,000-square-foot glass-
incidental damage inflicted by enclosed aquatic center. Steve
users. In a gymnasium with Gromack, aquatics supervisor
bleachers, for example, installing perfo- at the center, recently obtained price esti-
rated wall panels on the short side walls mates for panels — ranging from $45,000
will help absorb noises that bounce off “The leisure pool for plain ones to $65,000 for fish-shaped
empty bleachers, and will work in tandem panels and other creative designs that
with filled bleachers, where people help is almost like would aesthetically enhance the space. A
to absorb much of the sound. (Inciden- sloping metal ceiling in the pool area that
tally, wood bleachers are less reflective a megaphone funnels noise may be the main acoustics
than metal ones, but not by much.) culprit. “The leisure pool is almost like a
Wall panels come in various styles. One when lots of kids megaphone when lots of kids are in it,”
style features sound-absorbing glass fiber Gromack says.
wrapped with an unbacked open-weave
fabric that allows sound to pass through it.
are in it.” Other options to consider in the pool
area include:
This makes for a more sophis- • Vertical baffles. These
ticated look — something “CLOUDS” SUSPENDED lightweight rectangular glass-
that’s ideal for lobbies and FROM THE LOBBY fiber blocks wrapped in vinyl
other nonrecreational areas. CEILING AT SANTA can be suspended from a metal
Another style — this one more CLARA UNIVERSITY’S roof deck between bar joists or
common to gymnasiums and PAT MALLEY FITNESS horizontally stretched cables.
AND RECREATION They are typically an inch or
Top photo by Robert Reck, courtesy of Mazria Riskin Odems Inc.; Bottom photo by Craig Cozart, courtesy of Cannon Design
pool areas — typically features
a 1 12-inch-thick, cementitious
⁄ CENTER HELP DEFLECT two thick and can be designed
wood fiber panel applied over SOUND BOUNCING OFF in a variety of colors to liven
a 2-inch-thick section of light- THE METAL ROOF DECK. up a pool environment.
weight glass fiber insulation • Banners. Often referred to
that’s installed on a frame con- by the trademarked name
structed with wood studs (or Lapendary®, these are designed
strips) between the panel and to hang in a horizontal, vertical
the wall. Sound-absorbing per- or catenary (draped) fashion
forated glass panels are also and to allow for the free flow of
available, but their price tag is air. Made of 2 to 4 inches of
hefty, acoustics consultants glass-fiber insulation with per-
say. forated PVC facing, they typi-
An alternative to wall pan- cally measure 4 feet wide by
els, but one that needs to be several feet long and reduce
included in the design phase, reverberation times in harsh
is sound-absorbing masonry acoustical environments by
block. These blocks feature absorbing rising sound. The
cavities filled with glass fiber banners also catch nonab-
insulation and come in a vari- sorbed sounds as they’re
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AB AUG-acoustics 7/11/02 1:43 PM Page 72
reflected by the ceiling and work their THE NATATORIUM AT THE MARGARET W. a noticeable difference during school
way back toward the floor. CARPENTER RECREATION CENTER IN assemblies, basketball halftime activities
These treatments will work in a gymna- THORNTON, COLO., BOASTS PERFORATED and other events.
sium environment, too, although they METAL CEILING PANELS WITH GLASS-FIBER- Another contributing factor to poor
may not be practical because they are FILLED FLUTES THAT ABSORB MUCH OF THE acoustics in gymnasiums or natatoriums
suspended from the ceiling and could AREA’S is rooftop mechanical equipment with
interfere with game play. SOUNDS. ducts that exchange air in those spaces
with intrusive and loud gusts. An easy
Sometimes, poor acoustics are the design solution to this problem involves
combined result of hard surfaces mixed using larger ducts, which make less noise.
with a poor audio system or improperly Another option is requiring incoming air
placed mechanical work. When officials at to travel through 20 to 30 feet of elbowed
Barrington (Ill.) High School, for example, ductwork lined with one or two inches of
built a 38,000-square-foot field house in acoustical glass fiber before reaching into
1999, $3,000 worth of sound-absorbing the gym or pool area. Granted, this is a
baffles were initially in the project’s bud- much more pricey design alternative, “but
get — a costly line item that the school compare that to the cost of going back
board eventually dropped, says athletic and doing it all over again once the facil-
director Bob Carpenter. “It had terrible ity’s built,” Marsh says.
acoustics,” he says about the resulting Acoustic troubles can begin even
facility. “If you wanted good music before a user reaches a facility’s gym-
quality, then you couldn’t have good nasium or natatorium. Lobbies are a
voice quality. The problem was that facility’s first-impression point, and an
you sacrificed one for the other.” echo-ridden gathering place might give
Carpenter invited a sound consul- users a false impression of what a facil-
tant to the field house last fall, and was ity has to offer — or it may foretell the
informed that the facility’s audio sys- cacophonous environments awaiting
tem contained twice the necessary them further inside.
number of speakers — an installation If people are unable to converse
based on initial plans that included the with each other in a particular lobby,
acoustical baffles. For about $1,000, an or can’t properly understand verbal
audiovisual firm added pieces of equip- information provided by staff mem-
ment to the school’s sound system bers, some acoustical treatments are
that adjusted its output and has made in order.
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Fortunately, lobby areas lend them- options mentioned previously may also
selves to more creativity without the translate into lobby environments,
added concern of choosing acoustical another possibility is wood ceiling and
treatments that are resistant to moisture, wall panels that are grooved in the back
bouncing balls and other potential and lined with small sound-absorbing
abuses. What’s more, many acoustical holes or slots. They provide the warmth
problems in lobbies can be solved after a of standard wood surfaces and are avail-
facility opens and staff members have able in different sizes and styles to serve
had sufficient time to pinpoint the numerous environments.
causes. Such changes also can be made “If you wanted
without closing down major areas of the Despite all of the acoustics-enhancing
facility — an unfortunate necessity when good music options available, some facility opera-
applying treatments in a gym or aquatic tors are content with their current envi-
center.
Oversized furniture, plush and padded
quality, then you ronments — regardless of how noisy
they may be. Even van der Sanden,
carpet, and large plants absorb many of whose gymnasium at the Carpenter
the sounds that bounce off such hard couldn’t have good Recreation Center boasts extremely
lobby surfaces as reception desks; doors, high ceilings and gives off lots of
windows and walls; high ceilings; and con- voice quality. The echoes, says he doesn’t plan to treat the
crete fireplaces. Imagine a facility’s lobby space with acoustical panels similar to
as the living room in an empty house. The problem was that the ones in his facility’s aquatic center,
echo effect is much greater then, com- simply because he doesn’t see the need
pared to when the room begins to fill with you sacrificed one to do so.
furniture and other comforts of home. After obtaining cost estimates for
The sound dynamics change as the envi-
ronment changes. And just as every home
for the other.” acoustical improvements in his facility’s
pool area, Gromack suspects Lafayette
is distinct, so too is every lobby. A stone city officials will ask him to make do for
floor in one lobby will create a different now — a request he’ll have to pass on to
reverberation effect in another lobby, the center’s patrons. “When it’s really
because of varying room dimensions, fur- busy, like on holidays, some people will
nishings and other aesthetic factors, as say it’s really loud,” he says. “But I think
well as the number of people in the lobby people realize that when they’re here
at a given time. with a lot of people, it’s going to be
While some of the acoustical treatment loud.” I
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