The rest of the school: An investigation into good acoustical design of non-classroom spaces in primary and secondary schools.

Abstract

The focus on acoustics in recent standards and guidelines such as the ANSI Standard S12.60, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Schools system, and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) has rightly been on classrooms. Each of them does address other school environments also, although sometimes without particular specificity. After reviewing relevant American standards and guidelines for gymnasiums, libraries, lobbies, corridors, auditoriums, and other spaces that do not fit neatly into the classroom designation, this paper addresses good practices in the acoustical design of such critical environments through the use of a series of case studies. Specifically, the authors suggest room acoustics design parameters and appropriate background noise and sound isolation criteria for non-classroom spaces in primary and secondary schools.