ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDY ROOMS - A CASE STUDY
Abstract
A new building at an academic institution was built for the purpose of providing students with needed space for individual and group study. The building had quickly turned into a preferred space and is often heavily occupied. The study rooms are equipped with televisions and the walls are coated with a whiteboard layer, so that both conversations/presentations can be undertaken in addition to silent study. There have been numerous complaints from users of the study rooms about the disturbances from the TV and those speaking in adjacent rooms. Students noticed that conversations were easily audible, even when speaking at normal levels. Two pairs of unoccupied study rooms were used to conduct tests and evaluate their acoustical performance. The Apparent Sound Transmission Class (ASTC) and Articulation Index (AI) ratings were calculated to determine if the study rooms are acceptable for students requiring a quiet workspace, while having their conversations kept private. The results of the study will be presented in this paper.
Keywords: Apparent Sound Transmission Class (ASTC); Articulation Index (AI); group study room; school; speech privacy
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