Background
Worthing Golf Club faced several complaints from members regarding poor speech intelligibility in their restaurant and bar areas, especially after replacing carpeted floors with hardwood. This change led to increased reverberation, making conversations difficult during events.
We were commissioned to provide room acoustic design advice to address these issues and to evaluate the feasibility of similar flooring changes in other areas including the proposed extension.
Challenges
- High Reverberation: The replacement of carpet with hardwood floors increased reverberation times, leading to poor speech clarity.
- Low Ceiling Height: Limited room volume exacerbated the reverberation problem causing poor speech clarity and intelligibility leading to an uncomfortable listening environment and poor communication for all users, but particularly those with special hearing and listening needs.
- Multiple Spaces: The project involved assessing several areas, each with different acoustic characteristics and requirements.
What we did
Acoustic Assessment
We conducted an acoustic survey and analysis of the existing spaces and the proposed extension. The main parameters assessed were reverberation time (RT) and acoustic capacity. The goal was to achieve optimal reverberation times to enhance speech intelligibility, patron comfort, and a more enjoyable dining and social experience.
We used the results of our survey to set target acoustic performance criteria and provided outline advice on sound absorbent treatments to suitably control reverberation time, within the existing design constraints.
Recommendations
To achieve the desired acoustic performance, the following treatments were recommended:
- Sound Absorptive Materials: Installation of Class A sound absorptive materials on ceilings and walls to reduce reverberation times.
- Carpeted Floors: Retaining or reintroducing carpeted floors where possible to aid in sound absorption.
- Acoustic Plaster Systems: Using acoustic plaster systems for a monolithic look while providing effective sound absorption.
- Furniture and Fixtures: Ensuring tables and chairs have resilient feet to limit noise and using linen tablecloths to reduce sound reflections.
Project Progress
Our recommendations were used to inform the acoustic brief for the contractor who then developed the design and undertook the works.
Read more about the refurbishment here
