HCAHPS Survey and Acoustics
September 23, 2016
The main goal of healthcare is to promote healing and recovery for patients. Recent studies have found that a poor acoustic environment can drastically affect the recovery of patients. However, on the most recent HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare
PEX Plumbing – Is it as Quiet as They Say?
January 15, 2014
Flexible water lines, to some the greatest thing since “Romex” wire for houses. No longer does a person need to fight with rigid pipe when they are plumbing a residence. The product has been around for many years in Europe,
Focus on Acoustics: LEED for Healthcare – Acknowledging Acoustics in Healing
December 1, 2010
Anyone who has been to a hospital recovery room, whether as a patient or as a visitor, knows firsthand that the environment can be anything but calm and soothing. Echoes of staff and guests moving around and talking reverberate through
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
Quiet Curtains: A Product with Potential
February 1, 2008
Draperies and curtains have long been used as a cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and adjustable means of acoustic treatment within a room. The thick, heavy fabric provides useful sound absorption and reverberation control, especially at middle and high frequencies. Quiet Curtains
Travel Advisory for Sound
October 1, 2006
Sound travels on vibrating air molecules. To reduce the sound that is transmitted from room to room, Acoustical Consultants often specify resilient assemblies. These assemblies are placed inside the wall or ceiling–attached to the building frame–to reduce sound vibrations. There
The San Francisco GSA Federal Building – Green Acoustic Design Considerations
December 1, 2005
Incorporating a modern glass facade, the new GSA Federal Building in San Francisco will be a 600,000 square foot building 240 feet high, 120 feet long, but just 60 feet wide. Among the many green features, this narrow, 18-story glass
Soundproof Windows?
January 1, 2005
It’s late at night and you’ve just settled down to sleep, when the neighborhood dog starts barking – loudly. At first you try ignoring it, then as it continues, you try covering your head with your pillow. Just as you
Quiet Floors
February 1, 2004
Floor systems in multifamily housing are getting thinner and lighter in weight. Both of these work against a successful acoustical design. To overcome this we are constantly looking at and reviewing new products. Something that has caught our eye is
I Can Hear a Pin Drop
April 1, 1999
When an acoustical consultant walks into a room, the first thing they tend to notice is the acoustics. It can’t be helped, it’s second nature in much the same way a decorator would look at the furnishings. Occasionally someone else