Lambert's Point Community Center Acoustics

When designing Lambert’s Point Community Center and Gymnasium in Norfolk, Virginia, the architects planned for acoustics by adding perforated ceilings in most areas. These perforated ceilings helped to absorb sound and keep echo at bay in the facility. The noise levels, however, were greater than anyone had anticipated. The acoustical issues within the gymnasium limited the usefulness of the community center.

The architects designed the gymnasium with a perforated metal ceiling to help reduce the reverberation time throughout the center’s larger areas. Because of the hard-surfaced side and end walls, there was still a problem of excessive reverberation and flutter echo. This is a typical noise problem anywhere you have tall, hard parallel surfaces; common in reception halls, gymnasiums, cafeterias, and great rooms. The excessive reverberation and flutter echo decreased the usefulness of the facility since it was difficult to understand speech or music. The problem intensified as the volume increased. As the sound energy increased, the level of reverberation echo throughout the room also increased.

Anxious for a solution, the architects brought in Acoustical Solutions to offer advice and products to correct the echo problem. The solution came in the form of multiple acoustic panel systems.

• In the main gymnasium area, we installed two-inch thick AlphaSorb® Fabric Wrapped Acoustic Panels to help reduce reverberation by absorbing some of the low frequency and ambient noise.
• In the main gymnasium area, we installed two-inch thick AlphaSorb® Fabric Wrapped Acoustic Panels to help reduce reverberation by absorbing some of the low frequency and ambient noise.
• In the workout area of the facility, we installed custom fitted AcoustiWall Fabric Stretch System to fit into the open-air ceiling trusses.