Installation

Acoustic treatment design and installation

Take the echo out of the room and everything in it works better — conversation, speech systems, music and hearing loops.

Acoustic treatment

Design & installation of acoustic treatment

Sound reflecting off hard walls and ceilings within multi-purpose venues often makes the environment challenging for communication and privacy. The volume of speech needs to increase to rise above the base noise level created by echo and reverberation — and the problem exacerbates as people raise their voices to communicate above the din.

Bringing the reverberant energy in the room down prevents the volume of sound from building up into a wall of sound. As little as 15% of the wall surface covered with acoustic panels will create a warm acoustical environment, free from the build-up of sound energy.

As the base level volume decreases, so does the need to speak loudly. With less volume to contain, privacy issues become less of a concern — and by speaking in a pleasant, conversational tone, the nuances of the conversation are far more accurate and less prone to misinterpretation. The acoustically treated room becomes a more versatile and usable space.

Where it makes the biggest difference

The same physics, very different rooms.

Church halls and community rooms

Hard floors, plain walls and a high ceiling: the classic echoey hall where a coffee morning becomes a shout. Panels on a fraction of the wall area change the character of the room entirely.

Multi-purpose worship spaces

A long reverberation that flatters an organ ruins amplified speech and a band. Treatment is balanced so the room still works for music while speech becomes intelligible.

Schools, nurseries and meeting rooms

Lower noise means less strain for staff and children and better speech understanding — particularly for anyone with a hearing impairment.

Restaurants, cafés and offices

Lower background level, easier conversation and more privacy between tables or desks, without asking anyone to be quieter.

Measured, not guessed

We measure reverberation time before specifying anything, then confirm the result afterwards, so the amount and placement of treatment is based on your room rather than a rule of thumb.

Looks that suit the building

Panels come in fabric colours, printed finishes and timber-slat systems, and can be placed where they are least noticed. In listed buildings we work within faculty and conservation requirements.

Treatment and sound systems together

Fix the room first

A sound system cannot overcome a bad acoustic — more volume in a reverberant room means less clarity. Treating the room often allows a simpler, cheaper system.