Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

I Can Hear Clearly Now

  • 05/01/16
Hear Clearly

PHOTO © D13

While kids frequently leave you with the impression that they don’t notice anything that isn’t on their smart phone or screeching at them from a television set, that isn’t necessarily so. Sometimes even seemingly subtle changes can produce profound differences and, ultimately, recognition from usually oblivious youth.

Take a roomful of sixth graders at the Robert E. Lamberton Public School in Philadelphia. Dr. Kenneth Roy, senior principal research scientist at Armstrong Ceiling Systems, conducted a test at the school involving the acoustics in that sixth grade classroom. The class was videotaped; however, the teacher was the only one in the room told the reason for doing so.

Prior to making any changes in the room, Dr. Roy took sound measurements in the classroom. The existing classroom ceiling consisted of one-half inch thickness of fiberglass insulation sprayed over plaster. The reverberation rate of sound in the room, he discovered, was up to 1.3 seconds, far exceeding classroom acoustic (ANSI S12.60) standards. The sound was, quite literally, bouncing off the ceiling and walls.

Taking advantage of a long weekend, Armstrong installed a suspended acoustic panel ceiling in the classroom. New ceilings also were installed in the school’s cafeteria and the principal’s office.

When the sixth grade students returned to class, new sound measurements were taken. This time, the classroom met the ANSI standard for sound reverberation of 0.60 seconds.

The teacher indicated there appeared to be less fidgeting and talking during lessons. Her students seemed to be paying more attention. What was even more interesting was the reaction of the students. When asked if they’d noticed any changes, there was an immediate response — they noticed the improvement in the sound levels. Several also commented that the room was a lot brighter, and yet another student, who sat in the back of the room, said “I can hear (my teacher) a lot better today.”

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Big Horn Academy

    Big Horn Academy

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Big Horn Academy has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Announces Acquisition of JJCA

    Wold Architects & Engineers, based in Minneapolis, Minn., recently announced that it has acquired JJCA, an architecture firm based in Nashville, Tenn., according to a press release. JJCA specializes in healthcare and education design; the partnership allows both firms to expand their presence across the country while building on existing strengths.