03 When to use hanging acoustic islands The case of Monkton Combe School in Bath, EnglandWhen we undertake acoustic conditioning in rooms, we sometimes find cases in which it is not necessary to fill a complete wall or ceiling with sound-absorbent acoustic panels.

We are talking about spaces where it is true that there is reverberation which should be corrected, mainly because of the use that is going to be made of the room (i.e., as an auditorium, meeting room, classroom, and so on). So the room’s reverberation time is measured and the Optimum Reverberation Time is calculated, and the result indicates that optimum acoustic conditioning can be achieved by merely including some sound-absorbent wood acoustic panels. This is when hanging or suspended acoustic islands come into play, formations of acoustic panels mounted on suspension systems and usually located on room ceilings.

This was the case of Monkton Combe School, a traditional English boarding school located on the outskirts of Bath, England. Monkton Combe School has a wide range of activities which include musical activities that take place in rooms that need to be acoustically conditioned. For this purpose several hanging acoustic islands were installed to correct excessive reverberation and provide the rooms with flawless acoustics for the enjoyment of the musical activities for which they were conceived. At the same time, the look of the rooms was respected, and carried out the work quickly, without the need for messy works.

.

.

02 When to use hanging acoustic islands The case of Monkton Combe School in Bath, England

.

 

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in:

 

Acoustic islands: What are? What are they for?

Peter Zumthor and the use of wood slats in architecture

The special wood panelling of the University Square Stratford

The acoustic conditioning of the Qatar Development Bank – QDB