C hapter 3 the Design Context
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relation to streets and proximities to other buildings and elements
of the urban infrastructure). Most of this work is primarily configurational and normally does not yet involve detailed material considerations. Initial internal configurations for the acoustical space
are often based on the designer’s own professional knowledge of
what configurations might work and be worth further development
or, as is often the case with concert halls, the shaping might come
from a series of precedent studies of other concert halls known to
perform well that are of a similar size and in a similar situation.
Preliminary reviews and evaluations are then typically made with
all stakeholders in the final hall. These stakeholders include client/
owners, representatives from the music world (perhaps the conductor or others who will eventually play there), and any other person
or group with a vested interest in the hall.
During this process, broad design possibilities are invariably narrowed, and, ultimately, one is normally selected for further development. Preliminary design proposals are then developed that show
the design in more detail. Here a better shaping of the internal
acoustical volume is defined. At this point in current practice, the
building is represented (via traditional means such as drawings or
via a computer-generated model) in sufficient detail for all involved
to understand the nature of the design. After further evaluations
with stakeholders, a design proceeds to an intensive design development and engineering process to resolve the design even further.
During this process, design teams involving various disciplines—
acoustical engineering, lighting, structural, and so on—work
together to develop the building. During this process, both twoand three-dimensional computer models of the whole building are
commonly used to represent the design and to allow participants
in the design process to share information with one another.
The design development and engineering step is normally where
intensive studies are made of the potential acoustical performance of the space. To the material’s engineer, the immediate
and obvious point of interest is that the sound absorptive and
reflective qualities of the materials undoubtedly play a pivotal
role here. But exactly what role is this? What specific values are
needed? If an acoustical engineer is asked what single metric is
of primary importance in evaluating the acoustical performance
of a space, it is undoubtedly not whether a measure of sound
absorption in a particular material or set of materials is high or
low, but it might well be the reverberation time of the whole
acoustical volume. (Reverberation time is a measure of the length
of time, in seconds, in which a listener hears an emanated sound
80
relation to streets and proximities to other buildings and elements
of the urban infrastructure). Most of this work is primarily configurational and normally does not yet involve detailed material considerations. Initial internal configurations for the acoustical space
are often based on the designer’s own professional knowledge of
what configurations might work and be worth further development
or, as is often the case with concert halls, the shaping might come
from a series of precedent studies of other concert halls known to
perform well that are of a similar size and in a similar situation.
Preliminary reviews and evaluations are then typically made with
all stakeholders in the final hall. These stakeholders include client/
owners, representatives from the music world (perhaps the conductor or others who will eventually play there), and any other person
or group with a vested interest in the hall.
During this process, broad design possibilities are invariably narrowed, and, ultimately, one is normally selected for further development. Preliminary design proposals are then developed that show
the design in more detail. Here a better shaping of the internal
acoustical volume is defined. At this point in current practice, the
building is represented (via traditional means such as drawings or
via a computer-generated model) in sufficient detail for all involved
to understand the nature of the design. After further evaluations
with stakeholders, a design proceeds to an intensive design development and engineering process to resolve the design even further.
During this process, design teams involving various disciplines—
acoustical engineering, lighting, structural, and so on—work
together to develop the building. During this process, both twoand three-dimensional computer models of the whole building are
commonly used to represent the design and to allow participants
in the design process to share information with one another.
The design development and engineering step is normally where
intensive studies are made of the potential acoustical performance of the space. To the material’s engineer, the immediate
and obvious point of interest is that the sound absorptive and
reflective qualities of the materials undoubtedly play a pivotal
role here. But exactly what role is this? What specific values are
needed? If an acoustical engineer is asked what single metric is
of primary importance in evaluating the acoustical performance
of a space, it is undoubtedly not whether a measure of sound
absorption in a particular material or set of materials is high or
low, but it might well be the reverberation time of the whole
acoustical volume. (Reverberation time is a measure of the length
of time, in seconds, in which a listener hears an emanated sound