Product Review: Fabric Duct
October 1, 2009
Fabric duct products, such as DuctSox, are often specified nowadays as a lower cost alternative to traditional metal ductwork for large spaces – such as gymnasiums, cafeterias, and convention halls – where large volumes of air need to be evenly
Safe Disposal Of Green Rhetoric
August 18, 2009
I admit it. I’m tired of being lectured to about green building and sustainability. I’m not tired of the concepts; I like to think that I have subscribed to and enacted sustainable practices in my life and work for many
Product Review: Pyrok
August 1, 2009
What does the abbreviation “NRC” mean to you? To acousticians it usually means Noise Reduction Coefficient, a single number rating for the absorptive characteristics of a specific material AND mounting condition at four frequencies within the range of speech. It
Focus on Acoustics: Ceiling Treatments
August 1, 2009
Note: TA provided this article for the August 2009 issue of Buildings. Good acoustical design is an integral part of making a space fulfill its purpose. Whether we’re looking at retail space, a restaurant, open-plan offices, a videoconference room, a
Focus on Technology: The Time is Ripe for Green AV
April 1, 2009
Unless you just arrived on this planet, you know the AEC industry is pursuing ways to conserve energy resources and go “green”. With ten percent of the new economic stimulus package being invested in green projects, the AV industry is
Focus on Acoustics: Acoustically Integrated Architecture in the LEED Era, Part I
February 1, 2009
The concept of Acoustically Integrated aRchitecture (AIR – a term coined by Thorburn Associates) is basic enough: AIR is a best practice in which the interface of disciplines (architecture, acoustics, AV engineering, lighting, interior design, etc.) creates spaces that foster
Focus on Technology: AV & IT Convergence
December 1, 2008
Convergence seizes two different technologies that originated with different purposes, and integrates them to have a common function in a common environment. In the current evolution of the Audiovisual industry, there is a convergence with the Information Technology Industry, so
Great Expectations
November 1, 2008
Do you know what your client expects from a project? Currently, we’re experiencing life from the client side of the fence, and learning from the experience. Thorburn Associates is expanding its offices in North Carolina. We grew, we ran out
Product Review: Netwell Noise Control
October 1, 2008
Minneapolis-based Netwell has been serving the acoustics industry for more than 20 years with a wide range of noise control products. Netwell supplies more than 60 products to the acoustics market and prides itself on cost-effectiveness and small orders. Sound
Focus on Acoustics: Sound Isolation between Workstations
October 1, 2008
As with all matters acoustical, things seem to come in waves. The latest revolution of problems to solve: private offices along window walls in office buildings. People have been complaining they hear everything that is said on the other side