Thanku

1. Unit 2: Acoustics
- Introduction to the study of Acoustics, Noise and its types; Outdoor and
indoor noise; Study of behavior of sound in an enclosed space: Reverberation,
absorption, reflection, etc.
- Acoustics in Buildings: special requirements for various building types such as
studios, auditoriums etc. Principles of good acoustical design in buildings;
Analysis of existing prototypes – theatres, cinema halls, auditoriums,
multi-purpose spaces, Media - studios, conference rooms etc. for their acoustic
behaviour
- Constructional measures of noise and sound insulation, Acoustical materials,
their specifications and applications.
- Case study of acoustical provision in an existing auditorium/office building.

2. Architectural acoustics is the science and engineering of achieving a good
sound within a building and is a branch of acoustical engineering.
Architectural acoustics can be about achieving good speech
intelligibility in a theatre, restaurant or railway station, enhancing the quality of
music in a concert hall or recording studio, or suppressing noise to make offices
and homes more productive and pleasant places to work and live in.
Architectural acoustic design is usually done by acoustic consultants.
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, an example of the
application of architectural acoustics.

3. General question shall be taken up like:
What is sound?,
How do we perceive sound?
What are the different optimal levels of sound desirable in different types of
buildings?
What are the general principles and factors in acoustical design?
What different material are available to designers for acoustic treatments?
What are different learnings that can be taken from acoustically built spaces?

5. Few terms we will be learning in Acoustics shall be:
Reverberation
Absorption coefficient
Wavelength
Frequency
Sound power
Decibels
Threshold of pain
Attenuation
Echoes
Reflected sound
Flutter
Focusing
Creep
Diffusion and diffraction
Sound masking
Airborne and structure borne sounds
Specular reflection, Reverberant field
Design and materials for acoustic treatment

6. We shall be involved in searching different methods to achieve sound
efficiency in buildings through investigative design methodologies for
optimum acoustical behaviour, be exploring possibilities in, ‘material
specifications’, ‘planning of buildings’ and ‘building construction’
techniques.
Also the requirement of acoustic treatment is different as per the building
typologies. So we shall be exploring typologies viz. theatres, cinema halls,
auditoriums, multi-purpose spaces, Lecture halls, conference rooms etc. for
their acoustic behaviour

7. For example consider this treatment in a concert hall:

9. Finally the study of acoustics shall accompany the ‘case studies’ both literature based
and site visits as well. Like visit to ‘Exploratorium’ for study of effectiveness of its
design for ‘material specifications’, ‘planning’ and ‘building construction’.

10. Assignment:
Assignment shall be two fold;
Firstly you have to ‘individually’ submit answers to questions at the end of the
lecture based on your understanding of the topic.
Secondly you are required to work in a ‘group’ of three and choose a
particular built structure and analyze it for its acoustical design effectiveness
based on your learning of Planning, Specifications and Construction
techniques i.e. The Pros, Cons and your suggestions for acoustic improvement
to the building chosen.