• 051488 - MODULE 2: ACOUSTICS OF LISTENING SPACES

The course will deliver competence in building acoustics for design of buildings and rooms in buildings so that the acoustic environment fulfils the requirements from community and users. Competence should include understanding the effect of noise loads from internal and external sources and the use of theoretical and empirical methods to design buildings with satisfying sound insulation against noise. Physical modelling and mathematical formulation for analysing room acoustics quality (i.e. indoor sound quality) will be also covered.

Knowledge:

- Knowledge of basic acoustics theory on sound quality indicators for rooms;

- Knowledge of principles of room acoustics design

Skills:

- Have developed the ability of critical analysis of acoustics phenomena in buildings

- Be able to design relevant solutions for separating structures with respect to impact sound and airborne sound including flank transmission 

- Be able to design geometry, furnishing and surfaces in rooms to get good room acoustic conditions for different room utilization (from offices to concert hall).

Geometrical room acoustics

The range of wavelengths in geometrical Room Acoustics. Fresnel Zones.

Sound reflections from plane surfaces: the single Source Image, source Images of higher Order in a rectangular room, extension to three dimensions.

Subjective room acoustics

Some general remarks on reflections and echoes, the perceptibility of reflections, echoes and coloration.

Early energy: Definition, Clarity Index, Speech Transmission Index. Reverberation and reverberance, Sound Pressure Level, Strength Factor, Spaciousness of Sound Fields, assessment of concert hall acoustics.

Measuring techniques in room acoustics

Room acoustics modeling

Design considerations and design procedures.

Direct sound, examination of the room shape with regards to the reflections, acoustical scale models, computer simulation, auralisation.

HVAC Noise

Theatre Acoustics in historical typologies

greek and roman period, early christian period, romanesque period, gothic period, baroque period, origins of sound theory, classical period, romantic period, beginning of modern acoustics, twentieth century

Concert Halls and Opera Houses

051487  MODULE 1: FUNDAMENTALS OF ROOM ACOUSTICS is required.

Final written and oral examination on the main course topics.  In the written examination, the student has to answer to four open questions aiming to assess the ability of:

• understanding and analysing complex acoustic phenomena in buildings;
• proposing solutions for the acoustics design of closed spaces according to their final destination.

Correction and discussion on the written answers constitute the oral examination.