Selinsgrove Elementary School Acoustic Study

Overview

Renovation and an addition to this K-2 school doubled its size to nearly 90,000 SF and advanced a school system-wide initiative to obtain LEED Gold certification. The team provided assessment, recommendations, and design input for LEED acoustics compliance for core-learning spaces (primarily classrooms). Services centered on reverberation control, sufficient sound isolation, and control of noise and vibration from heating and ventilation systems.

Work began with a thorough inspection of the School’s existing conditions and an acoustic survey to measure environmental and ambient noise. Data gathered informed recommendations concerning appropriate architectural finishes to control reverberation and the design of partitions to provide adequate sound isolation. Collaboration with the architect and mechanical engineers enabled a sufficiently quiet HVAC system to be designed for critical learning spaces. Building inspections during construction assured compliance with the design objectives and generated documentation of conditions in and around the finished building. This documentation was submitted to the US Green Building Council, confirming the project’s compliance with the LEED acoustics requirements.