The document summarizes the materials and acoustic design of the Damansara Performing Arts Centre auditorium. Key elements include an acoustic wall system with rock wool and fiberboard insulation, zigzag steel panels to minimize sound reflection, and a cyclorama to reflect sound towards audiences. Flooring includes concrete and plywood. Seating cushions and hanging reflector panels help distribute sound. Analysis found the reverberation time is 1.2 seconds, meeting performance standards. Overall the centre achieves good acoustics through its materials and design features.

1. DAMANSARA PERFORMING ART CENTER
Group Members:
Chan Jia Xin 0319565
Chong Yu Xuan 0317950
Lee Hui Qin 0322991
Lee Kai Yung 0318314
Leong Yu Shi 0322586
Ng Hong Bin 0319735
Tan Sheau Hui 0319235
Wong Kai Chiang 0323341 Tutor: Ar Edwin Chan

2. 1.0 INTRODUCTION

3. Damansara Performing Arts Centre
• DPAC is prominently located at the main entrance to
Damansara Perdana.
• The auditorium was fitted into the site, between the carpark
and an office building.
• A column blocking the seating was removed to
accommodate more seats and is replaced by metal truss to
hold up the roof.

4. Ground Floor Plan Section

5. 2.0 MATERIALS

6. Acoustic Wall System
• 42cm acoustic wall - rock wool core and fibreboard
insulation with 150mm thickness, 250mm thick
concrete plastered by cement.

7. Zig Zag Steel Panels
• The zig zag pattern of the metal panels could help in
minimal reflection of sound.

8. Cyclorama (Front stage Back Panel)
• Cyclorama is a plain cloth or plastered wall filling the rear of the stage.
• This white panel is functioned as a sound reflector during performances for
sound travel towards the audiences.

9. Flooring System – Concrete and Plywood
• concrete is mostly used while plywood is used particularly for
the stage.
• Plywood is used because it is better to deal with abuse. It is
has more durability and economical.
Plywood
Concrete
Staircase – Plywood and steel (side surface)
reflect the sound and this might cause disturbance when
audiences walk out or into the theatre.

10. Reflector Panel
• multiple plywood reflector panel are installed, hanged by
steel attached to the concrete slab.
• This is to allow sound to be reflected to audiences mainly at
the middle and back seatings.

11. Seating
• The metal stand also incorporates air conditional openings for every seats. The
cushion which covers a relatively large area of the theatre facing the stage act as
sound absorber
• Cushion represents a person when it is not being seated, so the absorption is the highest
among all other surface.
Cushion
Plywood

12. Door System
• acoustic door on the audience entrance and loading bay entrance in
the backstage.
• the function of rock wool infill is to absorb unnecessary sound.
• Double door system is applied at the entrance by installing two doors,
which is an acoustic door and a normal timber door.
Acoustic door
Normal door
air lock

13. Elements on Front Stage
Proscenium frame
• It simplifies the hiding and obscuring of objects from the audience's
view and for minimal sound reflection.
Curtains
• Despite the soft surface of the heavy curtains which could
absorb sound, the black colour is also to minimize reflection of
sound.

14. 3.0 EXISTING SOUND SOURCE

15. Environmental Sound from Exterior
Vehicular noise from Lebuhraya
Damansara-Puchong
Car Park and Audience
Entrance
TNB Station
There is minimal noise intrusion could
be identified from the surrounding
context.
It located above the backstage of
theatre hall which does not bring
much effect to the theatre.
It carefully designed acoustic door
with rock wool core infill has
obstructed the vehicular noise from
entering the theatre hall.

16. Interior sound source
Airborne sound path
1. Projector Fans
The location of projector which is mounted to the
wall near the back audience seatings.
Solution
A hush box is designed as a projector enclosure
which is used to silence or hush a projector or
other electronic devices that generate noise from
the cooling fan system or the electronics.

17. Interior sound source
Structural Borne Sound Path
1. Air conditioning system
Sound is vibrating on the solid surface of the
AHU duct.
The noise of the fan coil unit (FCU) is controlled
by putting a layer of foam in the AHU duct to
reduce air speed, minimize the air friction.
2. Staircase
This could be a disturbance of noise when
occupants are entering and leaving the theatre as
sound vibrates on the solid hard surface.

18. 4.1 SOUND REFLECTION

19. • To keep the sound inside the hall, components such as the wall, floor, stage are made of smooth and hard surfaces.
• The reflection of sound happens everywhere inside the room avoiding unnecessary usage of speakers which can
save cost and energy making the hall livelier acoustically.
• Audience are able to enjoy and witness the originality of the melody.
Figure 3.4.1.1: Acoustic Reflected Ray Section

20. • Areas distinguished by blue are “live” areas, while seats marked in red illustrate “dead” areas.
• This shows that the sound reflecting panels are inefficiently designed to spread sound to all areas of the theater.
• This might be unfair for some of the audience as they are not able to receive the sound thoroughly during
performance.
Figure 3.4.1.2: Acoustic Reflected Ray Section

21. • Some of the reflected sound wave is being absorbed by the acoustic spray foam attached to the ceiling,
• In contrast, as the sound reflecting panels suspended from the ceiling is located near the stage, the audience of the
front rows receive more of the reflected sound ray than the rows behind.
• The spreading of reflected sound wave throughout the hall inefficient.
Figure 3.4.1.3: Acoustic Reflected Ray Section

22. • To allow efficient sound spreading to all areas & avoid “dead” areas, several sound reflecting panels were added to
the ceiling for better acoustical performance.
• The panels were positioned so that sound would be reflected to the rows behind to enhance the listening experience.
The size and position is made to suit the reflection of sound waves from the stage, enhancing the listening
experience of the audience seated in the back.
Figure 3.4.1.3: Acoustic Reflected Ray Section

23. 4.2 SOUND DIFFUSION

24. Sound Diffusion
• Sound diffusion is to promote uniform sound distribution and to
prevent the occurrence of undesirable acoustical defects such as
echo.
• The coverage of this steel panel is around 90% of the total
acoustic wall surface area, which contributed to a huge impact on
diffusing sound.

25. 4.3 SOUND ECHO

26. Figure 3.4.4.1: Acoustic Reflected Ray Floor Plan
Methodology:
Reflected sound1 + Reflected sound2 – Direct sound ≥ 34m
R1 + R2 – D ≥ 34m
R1a + R2a – Da = 10.8m + 8.8m – 8.8m = 10.8m (≤34m)
R1b + R2b – Db = 18.0m + 9.3m – 8.9m = 18.4m (≤34m)
• There’s no echo in our hall as it is relatively small space for
performance purpose.
• They are being absorbed quicker by the environment because
of the close proximity of the walls as the size of the space is
too small for an echo.
• Due to small distance between the audience and the reflecting
surface, the sound reflects and reaches the audience so fast
that it is not perceived as an echo but as one sound.

27. 4.4 REVERBERATION TIME

28. Total Volume of the space = 4368m3
Total Sound Absorption = 582.48m2sabins
Reverberation Time = 0.16V/A
= 0.16 (4368) / 582.48
= 1.2s
Surface Material Area (m2) Absorption
Coefficient
Absorption of a
surface area
(m2sabins)
Wall (Acoustic wall) Concrete with fibreboard & rock
wool
363 0.55 199.65
Wall (Front Stage) Plywood 85 0.05 4.25
Wall (Zig-zag steel panel) Steel 326.7 0.08 26.136
Ceiling (Acoustic ceiling) Concrete with spray foam 324.5 0.15 48.675
Ceiling (Reflector panel) Plywood 20.5 0.05 1.025
Floor (Audience) Concrete with spray foam 190 0.05 9.5
Floor (Front Stage) Plywood 147 0.05 7.35
Staircase Plywood 12.5 0.05 0.625
Floor with stair side
surface
Steel 28 0.08 2.24
Seating cushion Foam inner with fabric cover 485 0.46 223.1
Seating back, side, armrest Plywood 146.5 0.08 11.72
Seating stand Steel 40.6 0.08 3.248
Curtain (Entrance) Velvet 16.8 0.25 4.2
Curtain (Side legs) Duvetyn 188.5 0.2 37.7
Acoustic door Plywood with metal door lobe and
rock wool
6 0.1 0.6
Proscenium frame Plywood 47.3 0.05 2.365
Normal door (Electrical
room)
Plywood 1.84 0.05 0.092
Total Absorption (A) 582.476
the reverberation time of the theatre is 1.2s which fall within
the range of it.
Thus, the theatre has a good reverberation without the need
of further sound absorber materials to be added.

29. 5.0 CONCLUSION

30. Although it is an infilled theatre, it has a potential acoustic system implied in the building
according to our analysis.