Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2010 - 72

book

reviews
of that effort that the field of architectural acoustics came into being.
The first chapter, written by Cavanaugh himself, a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America
and a former president of the National Council
of Acoustical Consultants, takes the reader rapidly through some basic definitions and concepts
of sound. From there he describes the nature of
sound absorbing materials, methods of evaluating and quantifying sound transmission between
rooms, and typical structures and their behavior
with regard to sound transmission and absorption. Criteria for evaluating background sound
levels and typical recommended maximum levels
for various types of occupancies are discussed. A
listing of selected building standards for acoustical performance and an extensive bibliography of
further reading end the chapter.
Then follows the case study of the Fogg Art
Museum lecture Hall. This study goes beyond
discussing Sabine's initial work. It also describes
subsequent modifications to the space, which was
demolished in 1973. because of its significance
to the history of acoustics, a series of acoustical
measurements was made in the room prior to its
demolition, which the case study describes.

in considerable detail, both
in terms of solutions to specific problems and in terms
of planning to avoid problems in the initial design
process. Acoustical analysis
worksheets are presented
that can be used in identifying the level of control that
will be needed in a specific
application. For instance,
one is designed to identify
the necessary components of a system to provide
speech privacy within an open-plan office space.
Mechanical and HvAC systems are discussed, and
various noise reduction options are presented,
followed by related case studies.
Chapter four takes the reader into an area
that will be near and dear to many TD&T readers, the design of spaces intended for listening:
Theatres, concert halls, recital halls, and lecture
rooms. Factors such as appropriate reverberation
time for different types of performance, the relationship of subjective factors such as ambience,
clarity and loudness, and objective measures that
can help to quantify them, make up the bulk of
this chapter. Ideal characteristics for each type
of space, from lecture hall to theatre to chapel
to megachurch, are summarized, along with discussion of various types of spaces often used for
each. Case studies include churches, large lecture halls and performance spaces, including the
2004 acoustical redesign of the Hollywood bowl.
Sound systems are next up. This is one of the
chapters which fully benefits from a new edition
because of the rapid development of equipment
since the first edition was published in 1998. various types of system design are discussed, with
case studies to illustrate the topics covered.

Acoustical materials and methods
The second chapter, "Acoustical Materials and
Methods," begins with a detailed discussion of
attenuation and absorption of sound. It then
examines briefly a range of common building materials with respect to their acoustical
properties. Materials specifically designed to
provide acoustical properties are introduced,
followed by special devices such as acoustical
doors, dampers, air springs and resilient channels, hangers, and mounts. The chapter ends
with an extensive set of tables presenting sound
absorption coefficients, sound transmission
classes, weights per unit volume, and fire rating information for a wide range of construction
materials and assembly techniques. Three case
studies involve interior surface treatment for
a large chapel, sound isolation treatments for
structures lying under a flight-path close to an
airport, and sound isolation solutions between
percussion studios in a music college building.
Next, building noise control is discussed

theatre

design

technology

Innovations in design
Chapter six covers recent innovations in acoustical design and research. It is possibly worth the
cost of the book by itself. A detailed discussion of
the various metrics used to evaluate the acoustical behavior of spaces includes such topics as the
impulse response, the analysis of various portions
of the reverberant field, acoustical qualities that
contribute to an overall impression of a space,

2010

and methods of recording
and analyzing a sound field.
In addition to a fascinating
explanation of the methods of
measuring existing rooms, the
topic of modeling of spaces
yet to be built is discussed,
both with regard to physical
scale models and to computer
modeling techniques.
The final chapter, new for
the second edition, is devoted
to sustainable design in acoustics. The leadership in Energy and Environmental design (lEEd)
Green building Rating System is discussed, both
with regard to the original lEEd 2000 and the
new lEEd 2009 rating systems. Acoustical challenges to green design are discussed in detail.
Many of the materials that have traditionally been
used for acoustical treatment are environmentally problematic, from the environmental cost
of production to concerns about outgassing from
materials. The three case studies that follow illustrate techniques that are successful both from an
acoustical and environmental standpoint.
This new edition of a classic text is particularly readable. It is dense in places, requiring some rereading and thoughtful processing
of the material. but it is hard to imagine being
able to cover the very technical topics discussed
otherwise. I found that the structure of the book
was well designed to take the reader from the basics of sound, to the discussion of methodology,
materials, and finally to analysis and evaluation
of spaces. The timing of my writing this review
was particularly helpful for me, as I was able to
use quite a bit of the information in this book
as I prepared for teaching my basic Sound Engineering class this fall. The authors and editors
have done a remarkable job in making a highly
complex body of knowledge highly accessible to
a wide range of readers.
Dave Tosti-Lane is a sound and lighting
designer and chair of the Performance
Production Department at Cornish College
of the Arts in Seattle, Washington. He is
active in the USITT Sound Commission and
the Audio Engineering Society.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2010