Building Science 2

1. the platform
PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
Foo Ming -Wei, Fabien, 0327869 | Alexander Jose-Cheah ,0326803 | Woon Siu Zhi ,0331301 | Nicole Tan Tze Qi ,0330706 |
Hee Kar Hang ,0328186 | Aw Zhi Xuan ,0327651 | Lissa Lai Jing Ying ,0326465 | Aidiel Syazrie bin Azhar ,0327161 | Lim Jesson, 0326938
BUILDING SCIENCE II (BLD61303)
PROJECT 1 : A CASE STUDY ON ACOUSTIC DESIGN

2. INTRODUCTION
1.0

3. INTRODUCTION
Menara Ken TTDI is an office building
strategically located in Taman Tun Dr
Ismail (TTDI). Developed by Ken TTDI Sdn
Bhd, a subsidiary of Ken Holdings Berhad
(KEN), the company has garnered a few
awards for their promoting of sustainable
and green developments in Malaysia. The
building itself has been awarded the
Platinum grade avant garde office award.
Besides housing corporate offices, Menara
Ken TTDI also features a performing arts
theatre, f&b outlets, ballroom, rooftop bar,
rooftop gymnasium and swimming pool.
Menara Ken TTDI

4. The Platform at Menara Ken TTDI is a
fully integrated 523-seater performing
arts theatre, fully equipped with state
of the art sound and lighting
equipments, located at the Ground
Floor of Menara Ken TTDI which was
developed by Ken TTDI Sdn Bhd. The
space is also conducive for corporate
meetings, seminars, conferences and
private events. The Platform has
hosted events such as Comedy Shows,
Mud The Musical, Sean Ghazi’s
Tarakucha Concert, School Award or
Prize Giving Ceremony.
SA Architects designed the building as
a whole. However, the theatre itself
was designed by the owner himself,
Dato’ Kenny, after getting inspiration
from the many theatres around the
world from his travels with his son and
daughter.
The Platform

5. METHODOLOGY
2.0

6. 2.1 Measuring & Recording Equipment
Digital SLR Camera & Tripod
A few measuring techniques were being studied before we managed to visit The Platform in Menara Ken TTDI.
Recording and measuring equipments were prepared to facilitate our on- site measurement
Digital Sound Level Meter
Laser Measuring DeviceMeasuring Tape

7. DRAWINGS
3.0
7

8. 3.1 Ground Floor Of The Auditorium
1
2
3
4
5
6
Stage
Backstage
Front entrance
Back entrance
Seating area
12
3
5
4
6
Control room
Ground Floor Plan

9. Seating area
Hallway
Staircase
Entrance
Entrance1
2
3
4
5
1
2
4
3
5
First Floor Plan
3.2 First Floor Of The Auditorium

10. Stage
Backstage
Lower seating area
Upper seating area
Hallway1
2
3
4
5
6 Staircase
2 1
3
4
5 6
3.3 Section Of The Auditorium

11. ACOUSTICS ANALYSIS
4.0

12. Overall view from the stage. Stage view from the central seating area.
A slight curved stage with draped curtains
The control room behind the auditorium
seats
4.1 Photos of The Auditorium

13. 4.2 Shape and Form
- Rectangular shoe-box shape with
a stage at one end of the hall
- High volume, limited width
- Multiple audience levels
- 42m x 13m
- Length to width ratio - x3

14. 4.3 Arrangement & Levelling Of Seats
- Continental Seating
- Multiple-aisle
- Accommodates more seating
- Seats are angled at 8° and 10°
- 6 rows of seats at the first floor
gallery area.
- Furthest seats are placed by the
control room

15. 4.4 Sound Sources & Reinforcement
Sound Source
- Speakers
- Performance
- Control room
- Operating systems and controls
- No external noises
Sound Reinforcements
- Two way speakers
- Line array speakers
- Subwoofers
- Wall mounted speakers
Two-way Speakers
Line Array Speakers
Subwoofers
Wall Mounted Speakers

16. Location Component Material Description Absorption Coefficient
125Hz 500Hz 2000Hz
Stage Area Floor Timber Wooden stage floor, 2
layers 27mm over airspace
0.10 0.06 0.06
Wall Concrete Smooth concrete, painted
or glazed
0.01 0.01 0.02
Curtains Velour Tight velour curtains 0.05 0.35 0.38
Seating and
Audience Space
Floor Carpet 9mm pile carpet tuffed on
felt underlay
0.08 0.30 0.75
Wall Wood Wool 25mm wood wool slabs on
unplastered solid backing
0.10 0.40 0.60
Plasterboard Plasterboard on frame,
100mm airspace with glass
wool
0.08 0.05 0.02
Ceiling Mineral Fibre Metal panel ceiling, backed
by 20 mm acoustic tiles
with 15 mm panel spacing,
35 cm cavity
0.59 0.82 0.27
Seats Cushion Empty upholstered tip-up
theatre seats
0.33 0.64 0.77
Door Timber Solid timber door 0.14 0.06 0.10
Control Room Wall Glass 4mm glass 0.30 0.10 0.05
Concrete Smooth concrete, painted
or glazed
0.01 0.01 0.02
Material Tabulation
4.5 Acoustic Treatment & Components

17. Location of wool carpet on Ground
Floor Plan
Location of wool carpet on
First Floor Plan
4.6 Sound Absorption Materials
Wool Carpets
- Dampens impact noise
- Absorbs sound
- Ground floor seating area +
Gallery
- Enables bass to travel through
the floor
Wood wool acoustic panels
- Low cost
- Absorbs sounds
- Reduces echo and reverb time
- Low VOC
- Class A Fire Rated
- Used for acoustic treatment
Location of wood wool acoustic
panels on Ground Floor Plan
Location of wood wool acoustic
panels on First Floor Plan

18. 4.6 Sound Absorption Materials
Acoustic Ceiling Panels
- Stick-built grid system
- Dampens ambient noise
- Removes and diffuses sounds
- Reduces echoes and noise
Cushions
- Profiled lumbar cushion
- Absorbs sound
- Ground floor and gallery
seating
Velour Fabric
- Highly porous
- Good absorber
- Tiny traps for sound waves
- Dampens backstage noise
Location of acoustic ceiling panels
Location of seats on Ground
Floor Plan
Location of seats
on First Floor Plan
Location of curtains Ground Floor Plan

19. 4.7 Sound Reflective Materials
Timber planks
- Smooth solid surface
- Channel sound reflection
- Natural sound-dampening
- Reduces sound transmission
- Reduces excessive echoes
and reverberation
LED screen
- Metal
- Deflects backstage noises
back
- Sound barrier
Location of timber flooring on Ground Floor Plan
Location of LED
screen
Location of LED screen on Ground Floor
Plan

20. 4.8 Sound Propagation
Sound Propagation
- Ceiling slanted at an angle of 2°
- Reduces negative propagation
of sound
- Allows propagation of sound to
the first floor seating
- Sound intensity generated from
the stage is lost when it reaches
the back part of the hall
- This is due to the width to
length ratio
- Requires sound reinforcements

21. 4.8 Sound Propagation
Positive propagation
- Sound is deflected towards the
audience
- Parallel walls help with
deflection
- Increases reverberation time
Negative propagation
- Sound is deflected back to the
stage
- Glass control room at the back
of the hall causes negative
propagation
- Reflective material
- Overlapping sound waves
Positive Propagation of Sound
Negative Propagation of Sound

22. 4.8 Sound Propagation
Positive vertical propagation
- Propagation is not obstructed
- Provides direct sound to the
audience
- Flat ceiling deflects sound to
the front row audience
- Slanted ceiling deflects sound
to the audience at the gallery
Negative vertical propagation
- Deflections from the control
room to stage
- Overlap of sound at the
audience
Positive Propagation of Sound
Negative Propagation of Sound

23. Sound Delay & Echo 1
Echo = (R1
+ R2
) - D
0.34
The time delay for the position is
10.61 msec.
= (10.793+ 10.793) -
17.98
0.34
= 10.61ms
R1R2
D
Indirect sound
Direct sound
4.9 Sound Delay & Echo

24. Sound Delay & Echo 2
Echo = (R1
+ R2
) - D
0.34
The time delay for the position is
18.59 msec.
= (6.99 + 5.212) - 5.88
0.34
= 18.59ms
R1
R2
D
Indirect sound
Direct sound
Sound Delay & Echo

25. Sound Delay & Echo 3
Echo = (R1
+ R2
) - D
0.34
The time delay is 6.45 msec.
= (5.445 +13.369) -
16.622
0.34
= 6.45 ms
R1
R2
D
Indirect sound
Direct sound
Sound Delay & Echo

26. Sound Delay & Echo 4
Echo = (R1
+ R2
) - D
0.34
The time delay for the position is
4.26 msec.
= (6.148 + 10.172) -
14.872
0.34
= 4.26ms
R1
R2
D
Indirect sound
Direct sound
Sound Delay & Echo

27. 4.10 Sound Defect
Sound Shadow
- Sound waves fail to propagate
- Reduced amplitude of sound
- Beneath first floor gallery
- Lower sound intensity
- Difference of 10.5dB to 12.8dB
- Sound disruption
- Wood wool deflects sound to sound shadow

28. Sound waves are created by a disturbance that then
propagates through a medium. Sound sources can be
divided into three categories :-
a) Activity of occupants in the hall
b) Environmental sounds produced outside of the
building.
c) Activity of occupants outside the hall
The sound sources are classified into two categories :-
External Noise
- Noises produced externally outside the building
such as road traffic, highways and construction.
Interior Noise
- Noise produced by occupants in the hall.
- Noise by machinery.
External Noise
- Generated by people outside the hall
- The corridors around the hall negates
- the external noise from the rooms
around the hall
- Readings of human activity and
thunderstorms can be reduced
greatly from 120dB to 35.7dB - 38.4dB.
- The thick wall of 400mm helps in
reducing the external noise
Noise Analysis
4.12 Noise Analysis

29. Noise control can be done by implementing the
use of sound reflecting materials and sound
absorbing materials.
Sound-insulating materials effectively block or
stop sound waves from traveling to adjacent
spaces whereas sound absorption materials
absorb echoes inside a room, thereby preventing
sound from bouncing around the room.
- Auditorium cushions being flipped causes
slight noise
- Audience
- Footsteps of the audience
- Control room noises at the back of the hall
Sound Absorption
Sound Insulation
Interior Noise
Noise Analysis
Noise Control

30. The Platform has sufficient sound insulating materials as
well as sound absorption materials at the centre of the
performance space to ensure quality of sound. However,
proper noise control at the stage area and the back of
performance space is not sufficient.
This is evident as sound caused by the operating speaker
and lighting system placed at the side of its stage are
audible even from the front rows. As for the control
booth found at the end of the auditorium, it is not
properly enclosed to cut off noise inside, thus greatly
affecting the experience of guests sitting at the back of
the performance space.
Noise Analysis
Non-Compartmentalised Noise from the Operating System
Semi-Enclosed Control Room

31. SOUND READINGS
05.

32. “VACUUM CLEANER” NOISE (with mic) - Ground Floor
Min.35.7
Max.71.4
Max.72.7
Max.79.7 Max.66.9
Max.69.2
Sound Shadow

33. “VACUUM CLEANER” NOISE (with mic) - First Floor
Max.73.0
Max.69.1
Max.68.0

34. Min.35.7
Max.44.6
Max.43.1
Max.39.5 Max.40.
2
Max.39.1
Sound Shadow
“VACUUM CLEANER” NOISE (without mic) - Ground Floor

35. “VACUUM CLEANER” NOISE (without mic) - First Floor
Max.40.8
Max.40.2
Max.40.0

36. CALCULATIONS
06.

37. Reverberation time is the time required for the sound to “fade away” or decay in a closed space. Sound in a room will
repeatedly bounce off surfaces such as the floor, walls, ceiling, windows or tables. When these reflections mix, a
phenomenon known as reverberation is created. Reverberation reduces when the reflections hit surfaces that can
absorb sound such as curtains, chairs and even people.The reverberation time of a room or space is defined as the time
it takes for sound to decay by 60dB. Factors that manipulate the results would be :
- Volume of enclosure
- Total surface area
- Absorption coefficient of the surfaces
The Sabine formula is as follows:
RT = 0.16V
A
RT = reverberation time (sec, s)
V = volume of the room (m3
)
A = total absorption of room surfaces (m2
sabins)
x = absorption coefficient of air
RT = 0.16V
A + xV
Calculations

38. Estimated Floor Area (m2
)
A : 161.86
B : 91.78
C : 188.51
D : 27.53
A B C D
A B C D
Estimated Volume (m3
)
A : 1029.27
B : 672.56
C : 1202.66
D : 162.87
TOTAL Volume of The Platform : 3067.36 m3
RT Calculations

39. COMPONENTS
SURFACE AREA
(m2
)
500 Hz
Absorption Coefficient Abs Unit (m2
sabins)
A Timber Stage 250.33 0.06 15.0
B Carpet Flooring 389.42 0.3 116.8
500 Hz is used as a standard measurement due to this frequency category being the standard measurement for
musical performances. The Platform holds events related to musicals.
Area Of Floor Materials
A BB

40. COMPONENTS
SURFACE AREA
(m2
)
500 Hz
Absorption Coefficient Abs Unit (m2
sabins)
A Concrete Wall 160.9 0.01 1.6
B Wood Wool Wall 298.48 0.1 29.9
C Plasterboard 18.7 0.05 0.94
Area Of Wall Materials
A B C

41. COMPONENTS
SURFACE AREA
(m2
)
500 Hz
Absorption Coefficient Abs Unit (m2
sabins)
A Cushion Seats 130.75 0.64 83.7
B Timber Door 15.12 0.06 0.9
Occupancy (523) 0.46 240.58
Area Of Other materials
A
B

42. COMPONENTS
SURFACE AREA
(m2
)
500 Hz
Absorption Coefficient Abs Unit (m2
sabins)
C Velour Curtains 146.24 0.35 51.2
Area Of Other Materials
C

43. COMPONENTS
SURFACE AREA
(m2
)
500 Hz
Absorption Coefficient Abs Unit (m2
sabins)
D Glass Box 12.44 0.10 1.2
E Mineral Fibre Ceiling 244.90 0.82 200.8
Total 742.62
D
E
Area Of Other Materials

44. Calculation
RT = 0.16V
A
RT = reverberation time (sec, s)
V = volume of the room (m3
)
A = total absorption of room surfaces (m2
sabins)
RT = 0.16V
A
V = 3067.36 m3
A = 502.04 m2
sabins
= 0.16(3067.36)
742.62
RT = 0.66 sec

45. CONCLUSIONS
07.

46. The reverberation time for The Platform is 0.97 seconds which indicates that the theatre lacks in terms on its suitability
for music thus musicals being held here may not be delivered well enough towards the audience. However, in terms of
speech it delivers sufficiently. Major factors that contribute to its RT is its long and narrow space which totals up to
3067.36 m3
and also unsuitable placements of absorbers and reflectors along the walls.
Reverberation Time
51

47. After visiting and observing The Platform, we were able to differentiate the different types of spaces built for different
purposes such as speech, acoustics and multi-purpose halls. Based on our calculation , the Platform has a volume of
3067.36m³ and a reverberation time of 0.66s. Therefore, The Platform did not comply to the recommended
reverberation time to its volume. It is not suitable for acoustic performances. The auditorium is not built for
conferences and lectures due to its’ weak sound absorption towards the back of the hall which would lead to flutter
echoes in speeches.
Based on our deductions, The Platform is poorly designed to suit acoustic performances so there is room for
improvement to increase the reverberations time from 0.66s to at least 1 5s.
conclusion
Purpose Small Space
(850m³)
Medium Space
(850 - 8500m³)
Large Space
(8500m³)
Speech 0.80 0.80 - 1.0 1.0
Acoustic 1.50 1.50 - 2.0 2.0
Multi-purpose 1.0 1.0 - 1.7 1.7
Recommended reverberation time (RT) according to usage and volume.

48. REFERENCES
08.

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