ACOUSTICS AND LIGHTING  SOUND

Instructor: Architect Leah Ybañez-Martin - is a physical wave or simply a series of pressure

vibrations
 ACOUSTICS - for airborne sound, the medium is air
- is a branch of science that deals with the control - for structure borne sound, the medium is
and propagation of sound. building materials such as concrete, steel, wood, glass or
combinations of all these
 Objectives of acoustics - it is always assumed that the hearer has a pair of
1. to reinforce needed sound healthy young ears with the direction range of 20 to 20,000
2. to eliminate unwanted sound Hz
3. to prevent unwanted sound to be transmitted into an
enclosed space PROPERTIES OF SOUND
 speed of velocity
THE NATURE OF SOUND - 1125 ft/sec at 20ºF, the velocity increases 1ft/sec
 sound for every 10º rise in temperature (in Fahrenheit)
- originates from a vibrating body. It is pressure
have in an elastic medium. It is not restricted, it spreads where:
outward from its source in all directions diminishing in v = velocity
intensity inversely as the square of the distance from the F = frequency
source increases d = distance of the medium through which the sound travels
- these vibrations from the body come outward as
compressions and rarefactions in the surrounding air  frequency
- is the number of cycles of vibrations executed per
 rarefaction second. Humans can hear sounds within the 40 vps to
- the instantaneous, local reduction in density of a 16,000 vps range
gas resulting from passage of a sound wave, or the region in
which the density is reduced at some instant  molecular absorption
- elongation of sound - a sound maybe covered up or absorbed by another
- the vibration from a body are called frequencies sound. This phenomena is called masking of sound and
this is very useful in acoustics
 frequencies - the sound masking is usually of lower frequency
- cycles per second (cps) or vibrations per second than the sound it masks
(vps) and the compressions and rarefactions are called
sound waves  soporific effect
- that effect brought about by a low-steady sound

WAVELENGHT
- distance between two crests of a sound wave
 - low frequency sounds have longer
wavelengths than high frequency sounds. The wavelength
is also the distance traveled by sound in one second divided
by the frequency of the wave
- example:
the wavelength of a 100 cycle wave is a little of
eleven feet long and a five hundred cycle wave

WL = distance traveled by sound

wave in one second / the frequency of
the wave One characteristic of sound is that, like light, it can
bend around an obstruction known as “diffraction of
sound”. Low frequency sounds are diffracted more easily
than high frequency sounds

BEHAVIOR OF SOUND IN A ROOM

When a sound wave in a room strikes a surface in
a room, part of the energy is reflected, part is absorbed
by the surface and part is transmitted to the surface

REFLECTION OF SOUND ON A SURFACE

A surface that is rigid, flat and smooth usually
reflects sound. The reflection of sound on a surface
follows the behavior of reflected light, meaning that the When the wavelength of a sound is just the same as
angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection one of the room’s dimensions, a standing wave is created.
When a sound comes from a source, the hearer of the sound
actually hears two types of sounds:
1. direct or original sound
- from the source and directly delivered to the hearer
2. reflected sound
- from all directions of the room

for a sound to be heard by a listener comfortably, the

reflected sound must come to him not later than 0.05 of a
second or in terms of distance, the direct sound and the
path of the reflected sound should not exceed 57 ft

GEOMETRY OF REFLECTED SOUND

 succession of these reflections before the sound dies away
to inaudibility
Thus, the speed of sound plays a significant role in
architectural acoustics

RESONANCE
VELOCITY OF PROPAGATION Is what happens to a body when another vibrating
Sound travels at different velocities, depending upon body vibrates and initiates. The other body to vibrate in
the medium. On air, at sea level, sound velocity is 344 harmony with it
m/sec or 1130 fps, slow compared to light at 186,000 Resonance can be useful to reinforce sounds at
miles per second. Sound travels much faster in liquids and some specific frequencies
solids than it does on air. This happens only however, if the resonating body
or resonator has a dimension which is a multiple of the
SOUND PROPAGATION VELOCITY IN VARIOUS MEDIA wavelength of the sound wave from the originating body

VELOCITY
medium meter per second feet per second
Air 344 1130
Water 1410 4625
Wood 3300 10,825
Brick 3600 11,800
Concrete 3700 12,100
Steel 4900 16,000
Glass 5000 16,400
Aluminum 5800 19,000
At 22ºC At 72ºF

SPEED OF SOUND
As sound travels much slower than the speed of
light, the resulting defects in many rooms are echoes and
reverberations
When the reflected sound, which reaches an
observer, is delayed more than about 0.058 seconds relative
to the direct sounds, they are distinguished as echoes.
Reverberation consist of successive reflections of
sounds in a room, and since sound travels only about 1130
ft or 344 m/sec, these usually will be a rather long
 Low frequencies have more resonance than the high  cavity resonator
frequencies because low frequencies have longer - Consisting of an enclosed body
wavelengths and therefore more multipliers to the of air which is connected by a
dimensions of the room than high frequencies narrow passage with the space
Yet, there are sounds that require less resonance to containing the sound waves.
give presence to the sounds This type of absorber is
effective only at the resonant
SOUND ABSORPTION frequency, meaning it can only
The sound phenomenon that happens to sound absorb some sounds
when it strikes a surface is that the sound is absorbed by the When the sound wave
surface. Actually, what really happens is, when sound wave is transformed into heat energy, the sound will no longer be
strikes an absorbent surface, the sound waves through reflected. The sound heard is only the direct sound
friction on the pores of the surface are transformed into This sound absorption efficiency of a material is
heat energy measured in terms of units known as sabins, in which one
sabin means perfect absorption and 0 means no absorption
Number 1 absorption
THE TYPES OF ABSORBENT SURFACES ARE: - open window or door
 soft and porous surfaces - a line of pillows
- such as corkboard, foam or Styrofoam or any material - two closets facing each other and
which has this property like draperies on the walls and sandwiching a wall
carpets on the floor
DECIBEL
 panel absorber - measurement of the intensity of sound
- consisting of two layers of materials with an airspace - abbreviated (db)
between them. The outer layer, being of porous type and 40db
the inner layer of solid background - limit for comfortable hearing
100-120 db
- can no longer be comfortable, that is painful to the ear
ECHO
- reflected sound
REVERBERATION
- is a series of echoes coming from the same source
REVERBERATION TIME
- is the time in seconds that a reflected sound diminishes for
the case by 60db after the original sound has stopped
 - formula = 3.0 seconds
RT = 0.05V from table: the ideal RT is from 1 to 1.5
a1s1 seconds
where: -corrections
V = volume of room in cubic feet 1.5 = .05(80,800)
s1 = area of an absorbent surface (1338 + x)
a1 = coefficient of absorption of a surface 1.5(1338 + x) = .05(80,800)
- example x = 1355.3
an auditorium with a volume of 80,800 is to TRANSIENT SOUND
be acoustically treated to serve an acceptable - is the term applied to the direct sound which if the
reverberation time with or without audience. originating body stops, vibrating also stops.
The auditorium has been provided with SOUND FIELDS IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE
the following materials such as: When a sound propagated in an enclosed space
materials area in feet coefficient of absorption in reaches a wall or other large (with respect to wavelength)
(s1) absorption sabins (a1) obstruction, part is reflected and part is absorbed.
Wood 6,928 .03 208 The sound at any point in the room is then the
Plaster 7,440 .033 246 combination of direct sound from walls and other
obstructions.
Metal 628 .01 6.3
Glass 408 .025 10.2
DIFFUSION
Seats 550 .017 93.5
When the reflections are so large that the sound
504.01
level becomes uniform throughout the room. (no acoustical
units in
shadow).
sabins
Most rooms don’t have such a high level of reflection
-computation that a diffuse field is created:
RT = 0.05V 1. near field – near the source
a1s1 2. free field – at a distance
RT = .05(80,800) 3. reverberant field – near the walls
504
= 4040
504
= 8.0 seconds
add 200 auditors at 4.17 each
200 x 4.17 = 834
+ 504
1338
RT = .05(80,800)
1338
 INVERSE SQUARE LAW
States that the intensity of sound is inversely
proportional to distance from the source.

SOUNDS MAYBE CLASSIFIED AS:

1. ordered
2. disordered
SOUND FIELDS CAN BE RECOGNIZED AS FOLLOWS
 near field in an ordered sound, the instantaneous pressure
- generally within one wavelength of the lowest follows a regular pattern
frequency of sound produced by the source. in a disordered sound, the peak of acoustic
- the maximum wavelength for the male human power occur more or less at random, the periodic
voice is 3.30mts or 11 ft qualities of ordered sound are lacking.

 reverberant field THREE CLASSIFICATIONS OF SOUNDS IN A BUILDING

- near large obstructions such as walls 1. noise – unwanted sound
- is dominant and approaches a diffused condition 2. music – generally not always made up of ordered sound
3. speech – consists of both ordered and disordered sound
 free field
- exist between the near and reverberant field THE HEALING POWER OF SOUND
- the intensity varies as pressure squared and In many ancient cultures, the power of sound played
inversely with the distance a major role in developing the spiritual and physical well
being of the people.
 Today, due to the growing interest of alternative encourage among the physically disabled people who need
medicine. The use sound for therapeutic purpose is once to improve their movement and control.
again regaining popular acceptance.
Sound waves from the outside enter the ear and are DESIGN OF ROOMS FOR SPEECH WITHOUT THE USE OF
converted into nerve impulses. They are transmitted to the SOUND SYSTEM
brain which interprets them as sounds that we hear. 1. The main objective in the design of rooms of this kind to
insure that every member of the audience can clearly
 Cheering – during a basketball game heightens emotions hear what the speaker says.
and develops a sense of group unity 2. Another aim is to preserve the natural qualities of a
 Jazz and classical music – generally provides a feeling of speaker’s voice so that each member of the audience can
relaxation appreciate the dramatic effect intended by the speaker.
 Noise – from the rush hour traffic causes anxiety and
tension NATURE OF SPEECH SOUNDS AND EFFECTS OF ROOM
ACOUSTICS
These are only few instances where sound only 1. Speech should consist of a flow of various combinations of
becomes a part of our everyday life, but also affects it as vowel and consonant sounds. The consonant sounds are
well. merely of a transient nature, meaning they are short and
rapidly changing. Generally, it is the recognition of the
MUSIC THERAPHY consonant sounds which is a factor in speech
Music makes a powerful impact on the senses. Often intelligibly in an auditorium.
touching feelings too deep or too difficult to express in 2. If every member of an audience is to hear well, the sound in
words. The approach of music therapy practitioners can be each seat must be loud enough, this being the case, there
classified into two: should be a minimum of background noises which
 The response approach will tend to mask the wanted sound.
- focuses on the therapeutic power of music 3. Reverberation time should also be reduced to a tolerable
heard from an external source and the body and minds level because the reverberations of the previous syllables will
reaction to such music. obscure the sound of each syllable.
 The expression approach
- identifies music’s power to come not only form
its reception but also from its creation.

Music allows us to express a wide range of emotions

– from frustrations – to extreme joy; music also reveals
deep feelings and problems
This psychotherapeutic effect is the reason why
music therapy has become popular in treating the mentally
ill and the mentally handicapped. Playing music is also BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ROOMS INTENDED FOR SPEECH
1. The direct sound shall be as strong as possible because the
sound weakens as the distance from the source increases.
2. It is also important that the direct sound shall not be
obstructed by any means.
3. The best way to insure that the direct sound will go to every
seat is either:
 The source of the sound should be located
higher than any head in the audience.
 By seating the audience in such a way that at least
3 inches is provided between the sight from one
row and the sight from the next.
4. Because speech is directional, in plan, the seats should be
positioned so that none falls outside an angle of 140º, the
sound intensity will decay rapidly. Note: 140º covers both the horizontal and vertical
5. In order for the direct sound to be reinforced by the 7. It has been found out that the best volume for rooms of
reverberant sound, reflectors should be used and angled this kind is 100 ft3 per seat.
towards that part of the audience farthest from the speaker. 8. After the size and shape of the room has been determined,
the next step is to design the surface so that the
reverberation time will be suitable.

 Recommended reverberation times for various

volume levels
10,000 ft3 0.7 of a second
20,000 ft3 0.78 of a second
40,000 ft3 0.82 of a second
6. The 100,000 ft3 0.9 of a second
400,000 ft3 1.0 of a second

reflected paths should not exceed 50ft more than the direct If the reverberation time of the structure is
sound path. larger or longer than the acceptable level, then the
only way to remedy the fault is to provide sound
absorbent materials on those surfaces that reflected
sound.

CLOUDS
- pieces of cloth
hung on the ceiling to
absorb sound not less
 than 2 ft in depth; 2 ft because the wavelength of low  How to achieve good definition
frequency sound is usually 2 ft 1. The direct and the first reflected sounds must be
maintained at a high intensity.
- the best location for the sound absorbents in a 2. The shape of the room should be considered in terms of
room intended for speech is at the end of the room away the factors related to the design of rooms intended for
from the speaker and also to those surfaces which might speech.
produce unwanted echoes, like the rear of the wall of the 3. There should be a reflector above the stage to throw
hall, especially if the wall is concave. reflected sounds towards the rear of the audience. If
balcony is part of the design, then the soffit will provide
THE DESIGN OF ROOM FOR MUSIC as a reflector to that part of the audience under the
 Factors that affect good production of music balcony.

1. definition
- refers to hearing clearly each type of musical instrument so
that they are readily distinguished from each other.
2. balance
- is the correct loudness ratio between the various sections
of the orchestra.
3. blend
- is the hearing of a body of instruments as a homogeneous
source rather than as a collection of individual sources.
4. a low level of intruding noise
 How to achieve fullness of tone
This can be achieved again if the first reflectors
assist the direct sound.

ACOUSTICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF ROOMS FOR MUSIC  How to achieve balance

All the reflections of the original sound will This can be achieved by the proper location of the
blend into the direct sound and gives body to the music. various sections of the orchestra. Weaker instruments
These are known as first reflections and should should not be hidden behind stronger instruments.
arrive after the direct sound is not more than 0.35 second.
All the other reverberant sounds which come later, this ACOUSTICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHURCHES AND
time will produce a muffled effect to the original sound. CATHEDRALS
These are the sounds that should be eliminated especially if 1. All the acoustical design will depend on whether speech or
among these sounds, there are one to two reflected sounds music is considered the more important element on the
that stick out above the others and these are the nature of the religious service.
echoes. 2. If speech is of first importance, the church will be designed
in accordance with the principles in the design of speech.
 If the music is of primary importance, then the - receives sound from one direction. For speaking purposes,
design should be in accordance with the principles for the the directional microphone is better to use because it
design of rooms for music. reduces the feedback
3. A church which has separate cell fro transept or chapel
which opens off to the main body of the church has the LOUDSPEAKER
acoustical disadvantages that the reverberation in the cells - to give natural as much as possible as well as to
may be different from the main body’s. Some particular make the sound louder
notes may continue in the cells long after the main - diffuses low frequency sounds, projects
reverberation has stopped. directionally high frequency sounds
- should be placed one at the left, the other at the
SPEECH REINFORCEMENTSYSTEM OR SOUND SYSTEMS AID right
TO THE NATURAL SOUND
For good reaction of the microphone, the man speaking
 Reasons for using sound reinforcement system should be from 18” to 2 ft from the microphone. If too close, the low
1. The original sound may not be loud enough to be heard by frequency sounds will be accentuated. If farther away, the
every member of the audience therefore sound system may reverberant sounds will be picked up
be used.
2. There might be too much noise coming from outside as well For good hearing and reception, the main speaker should
as within the audience that tends to cover the original stay in a fixed position and should not vary substantially the distance
sound. between his mouth and the microphone
3. The acoustics of the building itself maybe poor and well
interfere with the unaided speech sound and for this reason, An ideal situation in the used of speech reinforcement
reinforcement system is required to reduce bad acoustics system is that the listener will hear not only the natural sound but
also the sound coming from a loudspeaker

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS IN THE USE OF SOUND Under this condition, the hearing of the natural and the
REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM loudspeaker merely magnifies the sound
1. The audience must hear the words clearly without distortion
and in a reasonable loudness. Another effect to consider is that the listener should be able
2. for realistic effect, the speech should appear to be coming to know the location of the source of sound, that is, that the sound
from the human speaker and not from any loud speaker. appears to come from the original source and not from the
loudspeaker. To achieve this effect, the natural sound should be
MICROPHONES heard first by the listener before the sound of the loudspeaker and
 Two types of microphone this is known as time delayed sound in which thru mechanical
1. omnidirectional microphone means, the loudspeaker sound should be made to come out a
- equally sensitive sound to sounds arriving at it from any little bit later than the natural sound, usually at an interval of
direction 0.035 of a second
2. directional microphone
 If the high level system is used in a room with a flat or level
floor, it is good practice to place the loudspeaker above the head of
the main speaking and direct it towards the center of the audience

If the loudspeaker will be placed behind the speaker, the

man’s voice will be heard seconds before that, that came from the
loudspeaker

PRINCIPLES OF SOUND INSULATION AND NOISE CONTROL

Definitions
1. noise – an unwanted sound
2. sound insulation – a process or method of making a room
invulnerable against the entry of noise
3. noise control – process of elimination or limiting the
DESIGN OF ROOMS INTENDED FOR SPEECH propagation of noise
REINFORCEMENT SYSTEMS
1. in general, rooms intended for speech or music should be PROPAGATION OF NOISE OUTDOORS
designed by an architect in such a way that future use of the Defenses against noise in the open air:
room with the aid of speech reinforcement system should be 1. to increase the distance between the source of noise and the
incorporated into the design rather than designing the room room to be protected
without this consideration and then using reinforcement 2. to put a screen or obstacles between the source and the
systems later on room
2. rooms which have good acoustical requirements are usually 3. to design or position the room to resist the noise
better rooms for speech reinforcement system

TYPES OF SOUND SYSTEMS WITH RESPECT TO LEVELS OF

SOUND FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE PROPAGATION OF NOISE
1. The high-level system 1. distance
- which consists of a single loudspeaker with a high level of the farther from the source the lesser is the intensity
sound. This is most applicable for rooms with good acoustics of noise
2. Low-level system 2. molecular absorption of sound by air
- consists of several loudspeaker placed at strategic locations high frequency sounds are absorbed more by air
in the room and operating at low volume of sound. This is than the low frequency sounds
most useful for rooms with bad acoustic like churches and 3. wind gradient
cathedrals refers to the differences in the velocity of air in
terms of distance from the ground and generally
 near the ground is slower than that farther above
this effects the propagation of sound

6. sound absorbent materials may effectively reduce the effect

of the reflected sound outdoors
7. if the source of the noise and its receiver are all above the
ground. The noise may increase due to the reflection from
the ground

4. temperature gradient
refers to the differences in the temperature of air
with respect to the distance from the ground, it is
higher than in the upper layers. The reverse is true
at nighttime. At night the air near the surface of the
earth is cooler

SOURCE OF NOISE INDOORS

5. any 1. like all types of sound, the noise in a room is made up of
two parts: the direct sound and the reverberant sound.
The direct sound decreases in intensity as the distance
increases, whereas the reverberant sound is uniform more
or less throughout the room, especially if the room is small
absorption such as a wall, will reduce the propagation of and square.
sound outdoors as long as the length of the wall and its
width should be more than the wavelength of the sound
 SOUN INSULATION
Refers to treating a room acoustically so that the sound
coming from it will not be transmitted to the adjacent rooms

2 TYPES OF SOUND INSULATION

If the designers interest is to prevent the 1. air borne sound insulation
transmission of sound to an adjacent room, then it is usually - insulation against noise is originating in the air. Ex. voices
the reverberant sound that is to be controlled. If the interest 2. impact sound insulation
is merely on the effect of sound inside the room, then it is - insulation against impact noises. Ex. footsteps and falling
the direct sound that is primarily to be controlled. objects
2. nothing that is done to the room can alter the direct sound.
3. the use of screen may also help in reducing the effect of the
direct sound especially if the sound is directional. The usual
practice is to put sound absorbent materials at the side of
the screen facing the sound source. The screen absorbs the
sound and if the dimension of the screen is large compared
to the wavelength of the sound, the person behind the
screen cannot hear the sound. As for the reverberant
sounds, the use of sound absorbent materials in the room
will somehow reduce its intensity.

TRANSMISSION OF NOISE IN AND OUT OF THE BUILDING

 Noise from outside to inside via an opening
At concessions inside the building but close to the opening,
the noise level is almost the same as if there were no building at all.
Noise level farther away from the opening depends on the area of
4. in long the opening in relation to the area of sound absorbent materials the
and smaller the opening and the greater the area of the sound
low ceiling rooms, the reverberant sound will not be uniform absorbents, the lesser is the noise level.
anymore. In some parts of the room, the reverberant sound
is louder than in the other parts. The direct sound falls off NOISE FROM INSIDE TO OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING
with increase in distance. This is practical in factories With openings, the noise level just outside the opening is the
where noisy processes may be placed in one end of the same as the reverberant sound level of the room, farther away, the
room. noise level depends on the area of the openings and the distance
from it.
 3. the effect of the lighting system on the space where it is
VIBRATIION CONTROL used as well as on the occupants

VIBRATION Like acoustics, lighting should be incorporated into the

To and from movement of the structure design of the building
 Some ways to reduce vibration Light may either be:
1. confine the building within its own a. natural – daylight
2. create a structurally massive foundation b. artificial
3. use resiliency principle of wright 1. incandescent
- stimulating effect, conducive to drinking, induces
VIBRATION PRINCIPLE sleep. Best for bars and nightclubs
The more massive the building, the less the vibration 2. fluorescent
Light frame construction (steel, wood, etc.) can transmit - emits a light similar to daylight, conducive to
sound as well as vibration eating, reading, studying, etc.
3. mercury
RESILIENCY PRINCIPLE 4. neon
A greater resistance to vibration includes a greater damage,
therefore the structure should go with the vibration, like in Frank A good architect should use the daylight or natural lighting,
Llyod Wright’s Imperial Hotel, it survived the earthquake. as this is the cheapest kind of light.

THEORY AND FUNDAMENTALS OF LIGHTING

 Definition of terms
1. photometry
- the science that deals with the measurement of light
2. candle power
- refers to the unit of intensity of light of one standard
candle whose light is concentrated at a point and the light
source is assumed to be placed at the center of a hollow
sphere of one foot radius
the illumination at any point on the sphere is one
LIGHTING AND ILLUMINATION foot candle (abbreviated ft-s), the unit for the power or
 Functions of lighting intensity of light.
1. to afford visibility of objects 3. standard candle
2. to secure pleasing and decorative effects -is the brightness of a black body at the temperature of
freezing platinum
 Factors to consider in lighting system 4. lumen (abbreviated L)
1. the method that they are used -is the unit of luminous flux, amount f light falling on a
2. the properties and capabilities of various equipment surface from the source
 -light ray striking a polarized glass causes the illumination of
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LUMEN AND FOOT CANDLE OR the horizontal light rays and allows the vertical rays to
CANDLE POWER penetrate the glass (resulting in soft lighting)
When 1 lumen of flux is uniformly distributed over 1 square 3. transmission
foot of area, the illumination at any point on the area is one-foot -light rays strike a plain (surface) transparent glass which
candle. allows the rays to proceed farther
4. reflection
FORMULA FOR ILLUMINATION -light striking a silvered surface is reflected back with no
diffusion and the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of
Illumination (E) = I / D2 deflection
5. refraction
Where: -light rays striking a clear glass placed at an angle with
I = the candle power of the source respect to the rays are reflected at an angle within the glass
D=the distance from the source in feet and continues at another angle on the far side of the glass

For example: CANDLE POWER DISTRIBUTION CURVE

What is the illumination on a surface which is 12 ft Is a graphic representation of the distribution of light
from a lamp of 80 candle power (cp)? intensity of a luminaries (container of a source light)
Answer: Those at the center of the sphere receives more light than at
the edges
E= I / D2
E= 80cp / (12ft)2 Each kind of light will have its own distribution curve
= 5 / 9 ft-c or 0.555 ft-c

PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES OF LIGHT

1. diffusion
-light rays leaving the source strike a rough, opaque surface
which spreads the light in various directions
-in addition, light is broken up while in reflection, the light
bounces back at a different direction
2. polarization