Resolving room volume and structural vibration transfer issues at UW Green Bay’s Studio Arts Building

Abstract

The primary rehearsal spaces for the orchestral, band, and choral programs in the Music Department at the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay are hosted at the campus’ Studio Arts building, which was constructed in the early 1970’s and had not been significantly updated since then. The goal of the building’s renovation was to improve room acoustic response for both spaces, improve on the insufficient acoustic isolation between the large instrumental and choral rehearsal rooms, and to update HVAC services. Because of the many years of wear and undocumented alterations to the building, exploratory testing of airborne and structure-borne vibration paths was necessary to determine the contributing means of sound transfer between spaces. Acoustically isolated construction ultimately was utilized to increase separation between rooms as well as to introduce acoustic shaping to the choral rehearsal room, to maximize reverberation and avoid the typical acoustic pitfalls of a roughly cubic room volume. A new reflector array was installed in the large instrumental rehearsal room, as well as targeted absorptive and diffusive treatments. New variable acoustic treatments were designed and installed in both rooms, while noise and vibration control for new HVAC equipment realized suitably low background noise levels for both.The primary rehearsal spaces for the orchestral, band, and choral programs in the Music Department at the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay are hosted at the campus’ Studio Arts building, which was constructed in the early 1970’s and had not been significantly updated since then. The goal of the building’s renovation was to improve room acoustic response for both spaces, improve on the insufficient acoustic isolation between the large instrumental and choral rehearsal rooms, and to update HVAC services. Because of the many years of wear and undocumented alterations to the building, exploratory testing of airborne and structure-borne vibration paths was necessary to determine the contributing means of sound transfer between spaces. Acoustically isolated construction ultimately was utilized to increase separation between rooms as well as to introduce acoustic shaping to the choral rehearsal room, to maximize reverberation and avoid the typical acoustic pitfalls of a roughly cubic room volume. A new reflecto...