Educational Facilities

Improving learning outcomes through acoustical quality

We provide the right acoustical environment for educators to be heard when they want to, with adequate privacy for when they don’t.

Acoustics in educational facilities, particularly background noise and reverberation, are important for an effective learning environment. Classrooms must be quiet so that teachers can be heard and students can communicate effectively. Poor acoustics in classrooms is a detriment to learning, behavior, and concentration. Educational facilities often contain other spaces such as offices, auditoria, and gymnasiums where sound isolation, speech privacy, and acoustical quality are also important factors for the building design.

Our Services

Criteria Development

Room Shaping

Wall Treatment Selection

Space Planning and Layout

Structural Designs for Vibration Control

Noise and Vibration Control for Mechanical Systems

Problem Diagnosis

Measurements and Monitoring

Construction Observations

Featured Projects

In addition to our extensive experience with university laboratories and other research facilities, our education project experience includes K through 12 classrooms, higher education facilities, lecture halls, and residence halls. The following are a few examples of our past experience:

Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience

California Institute of Technology

The Chen Neuroscience Research Building is a Gold LEED certified facility that supports vibration and noise sensitive spaces including laboratory spaces and a large lecture hall. The building is three stories tall and includes two basement levels. We provided acoustical input regarding partitions for behavioral suites with stringent STC requirements as well as architectural acoustics support for offices, conference rooms and the lecture hall. Additionally, we provided support for vibration control via the structural and mechanical design for the vivarium and research labs. A site survey was conducted to confirm that the area was not problematic with regards to vibration and noise. Additionally, measurements were taken to verify that the construction of CNRB did not negatively affect nearby sensitive spaces on campus.

Colleges and Universities, university labs, award winners

Stieff Building Materials Characterization & Processing Facility

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company / Johns Hopkins University

The Materials Characterization and Processing core facility is maintained by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The MCP serves the entire Johns Hopkins community, with focus on inorganic characterization and processing. Our vibration surveys for both post-demolition, and post-construction of the lower level labs were consistent with results prior to the start of the project.

university labs, research and development, engineering labs

Optical Metrology Tool Vibration Specification

Photon Dynamics

advanced technology facilities, manufacturing, high performance imaging

Extreme Ultraviolet Lithograph System Sensitivity Study

Sandia National Laboratory

advanced technology facilities

Optical Microscope – Vibration Sensitivity Study

Nikon

high performance imaging, clinical labs, manufacturing, biology labs

Crystal Grower Sensitivity Study

Confidential Client

advanced technology facilities, semiconductor

Prober Equipment Vibration Sensitivity

Tokyo Electron Ltd (TEL)

advanced technology facilities, manufacturing, semiconductor

Surgical Microscope Vibration Control

St. Agnes Medical Center (SAMC), Fresno CA

clinical imaging, outpatient facilities, surgery, hospital

Micro-Positioning Spinstand and Disk Device Manufacturing Equipment

Seagate Technology

advanced technology facilities

Westworld Arenas

Scottsdale, AZ

entertainment, environmental noise

Cell Tower Noise Study

TrussNet USA, Bisbee AZ

environmental noise

Campus-Wide Environmental Noise Study

University of California - Merced

environmental noise

Generator Noise Control

Kaiser Permanente, South San Francisco CA

hospt

hospital, environmental noise

Santa Clara County Crime Lab

San Jose, CA

construction vibration, Forensics Labs, crime labs, government, environmental noise

Campus-Wide Environmental Noise Model

National Institutes of Health, Bethesda MD

We worked with NIH to develop a comprehensive detailed computer environmental noise model of their entire campus in Bethesda, MD.

environmental noise

Mechanical and Process Equipment Noise and Vibration Control

Multiple Semiconductor Manufacturing Clients

advanced technology facilities, semiconductor

Building Demolition Vibration Monitoring

National Institutes of Health, Bethesda MD

construction vibration, noise and vibration monitoring

Factory Construction Vibration Control and Monitoring

Confidential Semiconductor Manufacturing Clients

construction vibration, noise and vibration monitoring

Laboratory Vibration Monitoring

JILA, University of Colorado - Boulder

construction vibration, LEED, noise and vibration monitoring

Block Lab Construction Vibration Monitoring

Stanford University

construction vibration, noise and vibration monitoring

Construction Vibration Mitigation

New York Structural Biology Center

construction vibration

Pile Driving Vibration Measurements

University of California - San Francsico

construction vibration

Pile Driving Vibration Study

Crystal Growing Facility, Portland OR

construction vibration, noise and vibration monitoring

Crystal Springs Pipeline #2 Replacement

San Mateo County, CA

construction vibration, noise and vibration monitoring

Water Pipeline Replacement

San Jose, CA

construction vibration, noise and vibration monitoring

North Shore to Channel Force Main Improvement

San Francisco CA

construction vibration, noise and vibration monitoring

Nitrogen Plant Noise Control

Linde

advanced technology facilities, environmental noise

Machine Shop

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

utility plants, engineering labs

Central Utility Plant Upgrades and Chiller Replacement

NIH, Bethesda MD

environmental noise

New Central Plant

Oklahoma State University

environmental noise

Bechtel Residence

Caltech

Residence Halls and Dormitories, Colleges and Universities

New Trier High School

Winnetka, IL

K through 12

The Phillips Brooks School

Menlo Park, CA

K through 12

Discovery Montessori School

Sacramento, CA

Preschool

Collins Middle School

San Jose, CA

K through 12

Portal Elementary School

Cupertino, CA

K through 12

Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute

University of South Florida

engineering labs, biomedical facilities, clinical research, Colleges and Universities, teaching labs, university labs, biology labs

Aztec Recreation Center

San Diego State University

Colleges and Universities

Manzanita Hall

Stanford University

Colleges and Universities

Wellness Center

University of Colorado

Colleges and Universities

University of Wisconsin Hospital

Madison

construction vibration, hospital, noise and vibration monitoring

Thomason General Hospital

El Paso, TX

clinical imaging, hospital

Joint Health Sciences Center

Rowan University Rutgers-Camden

biology labs, engineering labs, biomedical facilities, clinical research, teaching labs, university labs, research and development, vivarium

Knight Cancer Research Building

Oregon Health Sciences University

engineering labs, biomedical facilities, clinical research, university labs, research and development, biology labs

Falk Center

Stanford University Medical Center

clinical research, clinical imaging, surgery, university labs, research and development, hospital

MRI and PET Imaging Suite

University of Louisville Health Science Center

clinical research, clinical imaging, university labs, hospital

NeuroImaging Center

Las Palmas Medical Center, El Paso

clinical imaging, hospital

The Children’s Hospital

Denver, CO

hospital

Imagenetics Facility

Sanford Health

hospital

Arizona Cancer Center

University of Arizona

biomedical facilities, hospital, clinical research, outpatient facilities, surgery, university labs, biology labs

Outpatient Diagnostic & Treatment Center (ODTC) and Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

outpatient facilities, clinical research

Tower II

Scripps Memorial Hospital

clinical research, hospital

Student Success and Access Center

California State University - Long Beach

A renovation of the existing Peterson Hall 2, the center is dedicated to increasing services for CSULB’s tens of thousands of students. The facility serves as the new Bob Murphy Access Center, formerly known as Disabled Student Services. The Student Success Center also houses programs such as BUILD, which supports undergraduate research in the health sciences, and the Women’s Gender & Equity Center.

architectural acoustics, acoustic design

William Eckhardt Research Center

University of Chicago

This multifaceted research center is home to the Institute for Molecular Engineering, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, the Dean’s Office of Physical Sciences, and the Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility.

high performance imaging, cleanroom, nanotechnology

G.G. Brown Laboratories Addition

University of Michigan

This new facility houses The Center of Excellence in Nano Mechanical Science and Engineering, and includes a state-of-the-art Ultra-Low Vibration Facility. The unique and innovative vibration and noise control design for the ULV facility resulted in some of the lowest vibration amplitudes we've ever measured.

engineering labs, university labs, nanotechnology

Central Energy Facility

Stanford University

Place a large new power plant on the Stanford University campus, next to the golf course, in proximity to Stanford Hospital, other campus buildings, and nearby residences – and remain a good neighbor.

environmental noise

Crime Lab Facility

City of Denver Police Department

Forensics Labs, crime labs, government, noise and vibration monitoring

Audio and Video Device Research and Development Lab

Confidential Client - Bay Area, CA

prototyping labs, failure analysis, high performance imaging

Engineering Innovation Building

University of Illinois - Chicago

high bay, chemistry, materials science, structural testing, university labs, engineering labs

Traffic Company and Forensic Services Division Facility

City of San Francisco

Forensics Labs, crime labs, government, noise and vibration monitoring

Institutes for BioMedical Research – R&D Campus

Novartis Shanghai

biology labs, biomedical facilities, pharmaceutical research and development, cleanroom, parking garage, vivarium

Li Ka-Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences

University of California - Berkeley

biology labs, LEED, biomedical facilities, clinical research, clinical imaging, university labs, vivarium

Marcus Nanotechnology

Georgia Tech

noise and vibration monitoring, engineering labs, high performance imaging, cleanroom, renovation and tenant improvement, nanotechnology

Animal Health Diagnostic Center

Cornell University

biology labs, engineering labs, LEED, biomedical facilities, university labs, vivarium

Duffield Hall

Cornell University

noise and vibration monitoring, engineering labs, high performance imaging, cleanroom, university labs, nanotechnology

BioDesign Institute

Arizona State University

biology labs, engineering labs, LEED, biomedical facilities, high bay, clinical imaging, cleanroom, university labs, vivarium

Cardiff Innovation System Campus (CISC)

Cardiff University, Wales

engineering labs, cleanroom noise, transportation vibration, university labs, research and development, nanotechnology

Kavli Nanotechnology Institute

Caltech

biology labs, engineering labs, high performance imaging, cleanroom, renovation and tenant improvement, nanotechnology

Chen Neuroscience Research Building (CNRB)

Caltech

biology labs, engineering labs, biomedical facilities, university labs, research and development, vivarium

Alkek Hospital Expansion – Construction Noise and Vibration Control

M.D. Anderson, Houston TX

Construction vibration and noise control for a 12-story expansion atop an operating 12-story hospital.

construction vibration, noise and vibration monitoring

Transgenic Mouse Facility

Baylor College of Medicine

biology labs, engineering labs, biomedical facilities, clinical research, research and development, vivarium

Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building (ISTB) 7

Arizona State University

engineering labs, biomedical facilities, university labs, biology labs

Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center

University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha

The Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center includes a 10-story, 98-laboratory research tower, a seven-story, 108-bed inpatient treatment center, and a multi-disciplinary treatment center.

biology labs, hospital, clinical imaging, surgery, vivarium

Biodesign C

Arizona State University

A five-story, 189,759 SF, LEED Platinum research facility located next to an active light rail track and a busy highway containing a mixture of laboratory types: high bay spaces, multi level generic laboratories, and a Compact X-Ray Light Source facility.

engineering labs, high bay, university labs, biology labs

Parking Structure 6

City of Santa Monica

This award winning parking structure included a high-end retail space, which could not tolerate significant vibration from cars driving next door and overhead.

parking structures