VCU Underground

The Issue

James Gross from Virginia Commonwealth University contacted Acoustical Solutions to help with a noise issue they were having at their facility. The Underground is a meeting space and workshop to support VCU’s nearly 400 student clubs and organizations.

AlphaSorb Fabric Wrapped Acoustic Panels installed in The Underground at VCU

About the Client

Virginia Commonwealth University is an urban-style campus in Richmond, VA. It is ranked as one of the top 100 US schools by the National Science Foundation and ranks 25 of its graduate programs in the U.S. News and World Reports Top 50. It was founded in 1838 and currently has 28,919 students and 2,441 full-time faculty members.

The Challenge

The challenge was that The Underground is located beside a campus testing center and, therefore, it was imperative to manage sound. The space was originally carpeted so sound was never really an issue. It was recently upgraded to a hardwood floor for easier cleaning. This created a much higher noise floor and was beginning to cause issues in a testing center right next door.

The Solution

After speaking with each other, Mark Brock and James Gross decided that the best plan of action would be to have our sales engineer come on-site to come up with a solution to the issue. After visiting the site and taking measurements, we were able to come up with a panel layout using the Alphasorb^® Fabric Wrapped Acoustic Panels.

AlphaSorb Fabric Wrapped Acoustic Panels installed in The Underground at VCU

The Result

With the installation of the panels, the noise floor has dropped back to a manageable level and complaints from the testing center have stopped. Acoustical Solutions’ advice and ultimate solution is working perfectly and was the correct choice.

In the Customer’s Own Words

“This is the second time working with Acoustical Solutions, and for good reasons. Professional, friendly, and knowledgeable staff including the warehouse team. Any questions or changes to the order were usually answered the same day. I am extremely happy with Mark and the team at Acoustical Solutions. They will continue to be my first phone call for any acoustic issues in the future.”

— James Gross, Virginia Commonwealth University