Archive for category Gymnasium
The Pickle Factory
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Customer Feedback, Fitness, Gymnasium, Product Applications on November 28, 2023
The Pickle Factory is a massive (22,500 SQFT) indoor recreation facility that was recently renovated to exclusively host pickleball games (previously used for soccer and basket/volleyball matches).
Pickleball utilizes hard paddles and hard-plastic balls, which result in loud “whacks” (upwards of 85dB) when the game is being played. With dozens of paddles active at once, the buildup from these hits can be deafening!
Sonora® Lite PVC Encapsulated wall panels were specified as they are extremely cost effective (approx. half the cost of fabric wrapped panels), offer decent sound absorption and can hold up to the occasional hit from a pickle ball. The monstrous volume of the Pickle factory necessitated covering a large portion of the available wall space to ensure a noticeable improvement.
Although sound absorptive treatment cannot work “magic” and reduce direct sound from the ball impacts, it can reduce overall buildup by as much as 6dB, greatly improving overall acoustic comfort.
From the Installer Lee Hartman & Sons “The client didn’t want the walls covered in sheet rock to get treatment even though it was spec’d in Cameron’s layout. Still got very adequate reverb reduction. Thanks, Cameron, for the layout. With some modifications, it worked out well as you can see. Client is very pleased with the result”
Case Study: Swim RVA! Competition Natatorium (POOL!)
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Fitness, Gymnasium, Product Applications, Products, Uncategorized on May 12, 2021
Athletic facilities, including indoor pools, can often tolerate longer reverberation times when compared to other large spaces, like event halls and theaters. However, sound absorptive treatment is often needed to improve PA announcer intelligibility, reduce ambient noise levels and facilitate clear communication between coaches and participants.
Swim RVA enlisted the help of RTW Media and Acoustics First® to improve the listening conditions of their large Natatorium which contains an Olympic sized pool. The massive volume (approx. 800,000 cubic feet) and abundant hard surfaces contribute to excessive reverberation and noise buildup. Water is an extremely sound-reflective surface, akin to polished concrete; which exacerbates these issues.
To address these problems, over 200 4’x10’ Cloudscape® Banners were installed throughout the ceiling. Cloudscape® Banners provide the most “bang for the buck” in reducing excessive reverberation and noise buildup. When festooned, they provide additional low-frequency absorption, which is needed in these mostly concrete-block facilities.
In the end, the client was extremely satisfied with the end results, both acoustically and aesthetically!
Is your indoor athletics facility too noisy? Contact Acoustics First® today for a consultation!
Boys & Girls Club is (Cloudscape®) Baffled!
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Customer Feedback, Fitness, Gymnasium, Multipurpose Rooms, Product Applications, Products on February 3, 2021
The Boys & Girls Club is enjoying their improved acoustics! (Photo by: Rennie Fish)
A large gymnasium/basketball court made of concrete blocks and metal is not an acoustically tame place. Add dozens of active boys and girls and the cacophony of sound can be a little overwhelming. This is exactly the reason why the Boys & Girls club reached out to Acoustics First®.
After a quick consultation, it was decided that the most efficient and cost effective option was installing Cloudscape® baffles to tame the overall reverb and sound pressure levels in the gym. Because the baffles are hanging with all of the sides are exposed, this increases their effective surface area and, in turn, improves their ability to absorb noise. This efficiency, ease of installation, and their relatively low cost is why they were the perfect option for this space.
The Gymnasium is Baffled!
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Fitness, Gymnasium, School & Educational Facilities on January 18, 2019
Cloudscape Baffles
Cloudscape® Baffles are a wonderful product! This batch of baffles was installed in a middle school gymnasium/multi-purpose room by one of our dealers. Note how they were installed not just in the ceiling, but also on the walls by ‘chaining’ the baffles together. Most of the time we recommend hi-impact Sonora® Panels for the walls in school gyms such as this, but with a little ingenuity baffles can also get the job done!
Happy Holidays 2018!
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Gymnasium, Multipurpose Rooms, Products, Worship Facilities on December 20, 2018
Here are a few pics from a job in New York which was installed a while back by one of our regular dealers.
Note how they used a nice mix of 2’x4’ and 4’x4’ Sonora® Panels to work around the geometry of the room! Spreading around a bunch of smaller panels, like 2’x4’s, can work great because of the flexibility it gives you with your layout and design options.
Anyhow, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Acoustics First®!
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