Savannah College of Art & Design

The Issue

The Savannah College of Art & Design worked in collaboration with Acoustical Solutions to solve their reverberation issues and meet their design standards. They were in the process of an extensive renovation of The Hub. This area serves as a student dining and common area in their main Atlanta campus building. The school administration sought to combine their aesthetic needs with the functionality of effective noise absorption solutions.

The Challenge

Before commencing work on renovation, the SCAD’s Design team knew they would need to replace the outdated acoustical paneling. The old acoustical panels covered the upper walls of the space since its original construction. As a respected institution of design and visual arts, SCAD had no problem designing a plan. They chose to create a vibrant, multicolored mosaic-style layout for the project. However, they also wanted the material to be highly effective. Lowering the reverberation and absorbing the noise was as important as the design. Large numbers of students move through the space, day in and day out. The project was on a short time frame for completion before the start of the summer semester.

To help achieve these goals, SCAD turned to their Atlanta-based Acoustical Solutions representative. Acoustical Solutions provided an array of fabric samples. The design team was able to choose which varieties and colors best realized their vision. Based on this, we were able to meet the aesthetic need and provided superior absorptive effect in the common area.

The Solution

The design was in need for meticulous sharp, straight edges and tight fits for each of the separate panels. Our AcoustiWall Fabric Stretch System easily fits the clean look necessary to fully realize SCAD’s design. Our Fabric Stretch Systems are utilized for high-end acoustical panel applications. They may be customized on-site to create a seamless look. With this system, we created a seamless look while improving speech intelligibility and reducing reverberation in the space. Our dedicated team of installation specialists built the necessary track system, filled the individual sections with acoustical core material and tucked the fabric over track for neat edges. In the short time available, our team was also able to complete the wall system.

Materials

AcoustiWall Fabric Stretch System: Fabric and acoustic core to cover (26) sections of various sizes, and approximately 1,168 square feet

• Thickness: 1″
• Edges: Square
• Fabric: Guilford of Maine Whisper
  • Baffle #1291
  • Secret #1296
  • Spirit #8888

Savannah College of Art & Design utilized the custom nature of the AcoustiWall Fabric Stretch system with Whisper Fabric and our installation services to meet their high design standards as well as attain excellent acoustics in their student commons named The Hub.

The Result

With the work completed in the short 3-day window, the administration is extremely happy with the results. The overall sound quality of The Hub has greatly improved and continues to be a prime location for students to socialize and study.