This document provides information about an acoustic analysis project conducted on the Cempaka Sari Auditorium in Putrajaya, Malaysia. It includes the team members, tutor, introduction to the auditorium, location, methodology used, analysis of the shape and form, materials, sound propagation, internal and external noise sources, background noise measurements, reverberation time calculation, and sound reinforcement system. Suggestions are provided to improve noise suppression and the architecture design. References are listed at the end.

1. T E A M
● Lee Win Yang
● Low Guan Kenn
● Foong Zhi Min
● Vanessa Chai Pei Yei
● Phua Vey Suanne
● Tan Zhi Ying
● Poh Weng Chuan
● Lee Fei Syen
T U T O R
● Dr. Sujatavani
Gunasagaran

3. I N T R O D U C T I O N
Name: Cempaka Sari Auditorium
Address: Kompleks Perbadanan Putrajaya, 24,
Persiaran Perdana, Presint 3, 62675
Putrajaya.
Type of Auditorium: Multi-purpose Hall
Year of construction: 2001
Year of completion: July, 2005
Seating capacity: 566 seating
Built-up area: 1046.76m2
Volume: 19000m3
or 8124.82m3

4. B R I E F I N T R O D U C T I O N
● Low-rise medium sized building
● “Volume within a box”
○ Floating lanterns
○ Single suspended ‘pebble’

5. L O C A T I O N & C O N T E X T
● Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin/ Masjid
Besi
● Perbadanan Putrajaya
● Palace of Justice

6. H I S T O R Y

8. M E T H O D O L O G Y
● Digital Sound Level Meter
● Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera
(DSLR)
● Smart Phone
● Measuring Tape
● Laser Distance Meter

9. S H A P E & F O R M
● A pebble in a shoebox
● Concave surfaces
○ Concentrate sound towards
the centre
● Non-uniform angle

10. S H A P E & F O R M
● Hovering egg-shell
● Double layer shell structure
○ Acts as sound insulation

11. L E V E L L I N G
● Staggered seatings
○ Allow direct sound
○ Obtain unobstructed noise

12. S E A T I N G
● Concentric layout within 100 degree
○ High recurrence of sound projected
● Concentric Arc - Visual sight line
● Distance between sound source and last
row is within 30m
● Sound reachable to every angle

14. M A T E R I A L S
● WALL
● FLOOR
● CEILING
● CURTAIN
● SEATING

15. S E M A N G K U K T I M B E R
C L A D D I N G
● Smooth surface
● Solid core
● Promote reflection of sound
W A L L

16. P E R F O R A T E D T I M B E R
P A N E L
● Partially reflect sound
● Perforation traps sound
● Rockwool backing
W A L L

17. P O L Y E S T E R F I B R O U S
P L A S T E R
● Rough surface disperse sound
● Dissipate sound energy
W A L L

18. F A B R I C A C O U S T I C
P A N E L
● Rockwool fill
● Thin polyester fabric
● Sound absorber
W A L L

19. L A M I N A T E D T I M B E R
F L O O R I N G
● Smooth surface
● Solid core
● Cause disturbance
F L O O R

20. C A R P E T F L O O R I N G
● Woven surface
● Prevents sound reflection
● Silents impact noise
F L O O R

21. F I B R O U S
P L A S T E R C E I L I N G
● Smooth surface reflects sound
● Absorb Low Frequency sound
C E I L I N G

22. C O T T O N V E L O U R
C U R T A I N
● Minimise sound reflection
● Tiny pores on pleated surface
● Capture sound
C U R T A I N

23. P O L Y E S T E R F A B R I C &
P U F O A M S E A T I N G
● Jacquard Polyester Fabric
● Absorb sound and prevent echoes
S E A T I N G

24. S O U N D P R O P A G A T I O N

25. S O U N D P R O P A G A T I O N
● Longitudinal waves
● Travels outward in spherical wavefront
● Inverse-square Law
65dB
63dB 63dB
55dB 55dB55dB
43dB 43dB
Control
Room
Stage

26. S H A P E A N D F O R M
● Concave side walls
● Converge sound towards centre
● Concentration of sound

27. 1
2
3
M A T E R I A L I T Y
● Counter auditorium shape problem
● Sound reflectors
● Sound absorbers

28. S O U N D D I F F U S I O N
● Sharp edges
● Disperse sound in many direction

29. 1
2 S H A P E O F C E I L I N G
● Convex ceilings diverge sound
● Staggered ceilings direct sound further

30. S T A G G E R E D C E I L I N G S
● Increase surface area
● Distribute sound evenly
1
2

31. Echoes and sound delay
● Time difference between direct and
reflected sound
Time Delay: R1+R2-D
0.34
Time Delay VIP seat: 16.3+16.3-13.8=18.8
0.34 0.34
VIP seat time recorded: 55.3ms
Time Delay Top seat: 21+21-29.7=12.3
0.34 0.34
VIP seat time recorded: 36.2ms
Direct Sound
Indirect Sound
Sound source
Listener

32. Echoes and sound delay
Time Delay front seat: 8.4+9.8-6.4=11.8
0.34 0.34
Front seat time recorded: 34.7ms
● Sound energy is totally absorbed by absorptive
materials

33. Types of sounds:
○ Continuous sound
○ Varying sound
○ Intermittent sound
○ Impulsive sound
Type of sound path:
○ Air borne
○ Structure borne
Type of sound source:
○ Internal noise
○ External noise
N O I S E

34. E X T E R N A L N O I S E
● Facing Jalan Persiaran Perdana.
● Jalan P3C is between auditorium & Royal
Customs Department
● Transportation noises in the building.
● Airborne noise is transmitted along
continuous air paths.
● i.e Openings & door cracks
JALAN PERSIARAN PERDANA JALAN P3C

35. L O B B Y & P A S S A G E W A Y
N O I S E
● Events happening at the lobby generates
noise
● Especially when sound speaker gadgets are
used.

36. W E A T H E R
● Double layer shell structure
○ Air gap - sound insulation
● Aids to reduce the noise of an extreme
weather from 120dB (thunderstorm) to
average 40dB.
120dB
40dB
REDUCTION OF NOISE
POSSIBILITIES OF STRUCTURAL-BORNE NOISE TRANSMISSION

37. H U M A N M O V E M E N T
● Physical contact with different surfaces.
● Specific noise sources
○ Stairs cap
○ Auditorium seats
○ Timber floor
● Low in volume but noticeable.
STAIRS CAP AUDITORIUM
SEATS
TIMBER FLOOR

38. M A C H I N E R I E S
& E Q U I P M E N T
● Light source produces soft buzzing sound.
○ Only noticeable at close distance.
● Speakers produce soft buzzing sound when
turned on without music.
● Noise generated by HVAC system.
○ Air expelled through diffuser.
SOUND SYSTEM
LIGHTING SYSTEM
HVAC SYSTEM

39. M A C H I N E R I E S
& E Q U I P M E N T
● Noticeable background noise.
● Causes annoyance as audience sitting at the
back row.
● noise can be masked by sound produced
during performances.
AHU ROOM LOCATION

40. S O U N D D E F E C T S
● No sound shadow occured.
● Ceiling not parallel to the floor, to prevent
flutter echoes .
● Concentration of sound towards audiences
due to the horseshoe shaped.

41. B A C K G R O U N D
N O I S E
● Average reading of background noise in
the auditorium is 36dB
● Backstage
● Control Room
● Ventilation system from AHU Rooms
● Exterior walkway
Backstage
Control
Room
AHUAHU
Lift
34dB 35dB 34dB
35dB
34dB 34dB
34dB
37dB
35dB 34dB

43. R E V E R B E R A T I O N T I M E
● Time taken for sound to fade away
RT = 0.16 V
A
Where;
RT = Reverberation Time
V= volume of room (cu.m)
A= total absorption of room
surfaces (sq.m sabins)
Sabine’s Formula:

44. Component Material Absorption
Coefficient, as
500hz
Effective
Surface Area
(m²)
Abs. Units
(m² sabins)
Floor Nylon Carpet
Flooring
0.62 708.73 493.41
Laminated
Timber Flooring
0.06 131.00 7.86
Total Absorption (A) for Floor Material 501.27
Wall Perforated
Timber Panel
0.58 219.63 127.39
Polyester
Fibrous Plaster
Panel
0.10 219.63 21.96
Fabric Acoustic
Panel
1.0 21.46 21.46
Semangkuk
Timber
Cladding
0.10 99.36 9.936
Total Absorption (A) for Wall Material 180.746
Component Material Absorption
Coefficient,
as 500hz
Effective
Surface Area
(m²)
Abs. Units
(m²sabins)
Ceiling Plaster
Ceiling
0.10 1069.45 106.95
Stage Curtain Acoustic
Velour
Curtain
0.40 229.69 91.88
Railing Timber
Railing
0.05 25.82 1.29
Seating NIL 0.46 per
occupants
566 seats 260.36
Double Solid
Acoustic
Door
Timber and
Steel
0.06 13.86 0.83
Single Solid
Acoustic
Door
Timber 0.06 11.34 0.68
Double
Glazed
Window
Insulating
Glass and
PVB
0.03 0.8 0.024
Total Absorption (A) for Other Materials 462.014

45. R T C A L C U L A T I O N
● DUMC with approximately 1.136s RT
● Not conducive for music
● Good for speech delivering rather than
musical and instrumental performances.
Volume of Cempaka Sari Auditorium:
8124.82 m³
Total Absorption Units for all materials:
1144.06 m² sabins
Reverberation Time for the auditorium,
RT =
=
0.16 x 8124.82
1144.06
1.136s

46. S O U N D R E I N F O R C E M E N T
● Full range loudspeaker
● Stage fill loudspeaker
● Stage foldback monitor loudspeaker
● Extended bass subwoofer

47. F U L L R A N G E
L O U D S P E A K E R
● Arrayable high Q & mid Q sound
● Uniform frequencies provided
● Minimal destructive
● Balance sound propagation provided
Position and coverage of arrayable full range speaker in section
40°

48. S T A G E F O L D B A C K
M O N I T O R S P E A K E R
● Amplifies the sound produced
● Sound feedback produced
● Avoid reverberated sound reflects on stage
Position and coverage of stage
foldback monitor on plan
45
°
45
°
45
°
45
°
70
°
Position and coverage of stage foldback
monitor loudspeaker in section B-B

49. S T A G E F I L L S P E A K E R
● High sound pressure level provided
● Low distortion
● Uniform directional control
● Sound feedback provided
Position and coverage of arrayable
fullrange speakers on plan
100° 100°
Position and coverage of stage fill
loudspeaker on plan
100°100°

50. E X T E N D E D S U B W O O F E R
● Flat sound provided
● Low-frequency can be response
● Wider and equal sound provided
● Bass output increased
Position and coverage of
extended bass subwoofer
on plan
360° 360°
360°
Position and coverage of
extended bass subwoofer
in section B-B

52. S U G G E S T I O N S
● Suppression of Noise from Source
○ Quiet operated machines and
equipment
○ Use restrained or housed spring
vibration isolators.

53. S U G G E S T I O N S
● Architecture Design
○ Design layout of auditorium
○ AHU room far from auditorium

54. R E F E R E N C E S
1.0 Introduction
Cempaka Sari Auditorium. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.aqidea.com.my/main/project/38-cempaka-sari-auditorium-putrajaya-
About Putrajaya. (2006, December 24). Retrieved from
http://www.ppj.gov.my/portal/page?_pageid=311,481418&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
Putrajaya - The making of a new city. (2013, September 16.). Retrieved from
https://www.thestar.com.my/travel/malaysia/2013/09/16/putrajaya-the-making-of-a-new-city/
4.0 Acoustic Analysis
Sound Reinforcement Systems. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pas-sound.co.uk/Sound-Reinforcement-Systems.html
Wikipedia. 2019. Stage monitor system - Wikipedia. Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_monitor_system#Side-fill_monitors.
Wood Products. 2019. Acoustic properties of wood | Wood Products. Retrieved from
https://www.woodproducts.fi/content/acoustic-properties-wood.
OJ Inc.. 2019. How Does Insulation Reduce Noise? | Insulation Contractors Los Angeles, San Diego. Retrieved from
https://www.ojinc.com/how-does-insulation-reduce-noise/.

55. R E F E R E N C E S
Perforated MDF Board Acoustic Panel MDF Acoustic Ceiling Board Wall Panel – HUI ACOUSTICS. 2019. Perforated
MDF Board Acoustic Panel MDF Acoustic Ceiling Board Wall Panel – HUI ACOUSTICS. Retrieved from
https://www.huiacoustics.com/product/perforated-mdf-board/.
Acoustical Solutions. 2019. PolyPhon™ Polyester Acoustic Panels | Acoustical Solutions. Retrieved from
https://acousticalsolutions.com/product/polyphon-polyester-acoustic-panels/.
NetWell. 2019. Sound Absorbing Panels | Fabric Acoustic Wall Panel. Retrieved from
https://www.controlnoise.com/product/fabric-panels/.
srcnet. 2019. GreenSpec: Commercial carpet tiles Part 1: Materials and Environment. Retrieved from
http://www.greenspec.co.uk/building-design/carpet-tiles-1/.
WNB. 2019. What Is Engineered Flooring Lamella Layer? - Wood and Beyond Blog. Retrieved from
https://www.woodandbeyond.com/blog/what-is-engineered-flooring-lamella-layer/.
Auditorium | WBDG - Whole Building Design Guide. 2019. Auditorium | WBDG - Whole Building Design Guide.
Retrieved from https://www.wbdg.org/space-types/auditorium.
Wikipedia. 2019. Acoustic plaster - Wikipedia. Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_plaster#Advantage.

56. R E F E R E N C E S
NetWell. 2019. Auditorium Acoustic Materials | Mounted Sound Panels. Retrieved from
https://www.controlnoise.com/treatment/auditorium/.
Dramatic Plasterwork: Fibrous Plaster in Theatres. 2019. Dramatic Plasterwork: Fibrous Plaster in Theatres. Retrieved
from http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/theatre/theatre.htm.
Inspecting historic fibrous plaster ceilings - Designing Buildings Wiki. 2019. Inspecting historic fibrous plaster ceilings -
Designing Buildings Wiki. Retrieved from
https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Inspecting_historic_fibrous_plaster_ceilings.
FR Velvet for Theatre Curtains | Ompile - Fine Velvets. 2019. FR Velvet for Theatre Curtains | Ompile - Fine Velvets.
Retrieved from http://ompile.com/fr-velvet-for-theatre-curtains/.
ShowTex. 2019. Stage curtains for theatres and events: a thorough guide. Retrieved from
https://www.showtex.com/en/blog/buyers-guide-fabrics/stage-curtains-theatres-thorough-guide.
Chicago Canvas & Supply. 2019. Fabrics for Theater Curtains Comparison - Backdrops - Stage. Retrieved from
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AcousticsFREQ.com. 2019. Sound-Absorbing Drapery: Theory & Application. Retrieved from
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57. R E F E R E N C E S
Rosebrand.com. 2019. Stage Curtains, Backdrops & Event Drapery from Rose Brand . Retrieved from
https://www.rosebrand.com/category100/stage-curtains-backdrops-event-drapery.aspx.
Acoustical Surfaces. 2019. Polyurethane Foam Panels | Polyurethane Foam Sound Absorber. Retrieved from
https://www.acousticalsurfaces.com/foam_stop/poly_comp.htm.
Composite materials guide: Core Materials - Polyurethane Foams | NetComposites. 2019. Composite materials guide:
Core Materials - Polyurethane Foams | NetComposites. Retrieved from
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Are Polyester fiber sound-absorbing board material good? . 2019. Are Polyester fiber sound-absorbing board material
good? . Retrieved from
http://www.1st-acoustics.com/knowledge/Are_Polyester_fiber_sound-absorbing_board_material_good.html.
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58. T H E E N D