Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Nathan Bishop Middle School Makes Transformation with Help From Acentech

  • 08/01/13
Nathan Bishop Middle School Makes Transformation with Help From Acentech 

Acentech worked with Ai3 to upgrade the acoustical standards of Nathan Bishop Middle School in Providence, R.I.

After a three year, $35 million renovation, Nathan Bishop Middle School transformed from a decaying, struggling institution into one of the most sought after public middle schools in Providence, R.I.

During the renovation, Acentech worked closely with Ai3 Architects to upgrade the original 1920s building to the acoustical standards of the 21st century. Following the acoustical goals established by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools in New England and the ANSI S12.60-2002 American National Standard of Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements and Guidelines for Schools, Acentech focused its recommendations on room acoustical treatments, sound isolation and mechanical systems noise control. We ensured that acoustical treatments, in the classrooms as well as other activity spaces (e.g. gymnasium, cafeteria and auditorium), were suitably selected and distributed in order to control the reverberation time, achieve high speech intelligibility and overall acoustical comfort.

Acentech specified wall and floor/ceiling constructions as well as door and window systems to provide an adequate degree of sound isolation between adjacent spaces. Finally, Acentech worked with the mechanical engineering team to ensure that the noise from the mechanical systems were quiet and did not have a negative effect on the learning environments.

Acentech
www.acentech.com

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management August 2013 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • El Paso District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, recently announced that construction has begun on a 119,000-square-foot elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Pfluger Architects, Carl Daniel Architects, and LDCM Solutions on the new Davenport Elementary School, which has an expected completion date of 2027.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.

  • Upcoming University of Alabama Performing Arts Center Hits Construction Milestone

    The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., recently celebrated the topping out of its new Smith Family Center for Performing Arts, according to a news release. The university is partnering with HPM for program and project management on the facility, which broke ground in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.