Project Background

This 2,400 sq m community youth arts centre in Vancouver includes a multi-purpose performance hall, dance studios, music practice rooms and public activity corridors. The original high drywall ceilings and hard concrete surfaces caused excessive reverberation and uneven sound distribution. Dance classes, music rehearsals and group events overlapped acoustically, reducing activity quality and creating noise interference between rooms. The project required durable, impact-resistant acoustic tuning solutions suitable for high-frequency youth use.

Acoustic Solution

Grooved and perforated resonant panels are installed in the multi-purpose hall and practice rooms. Paired with mineral wool infill and rear air cavities, the panels are calibrated via acoustic simulation to target mid-low frequency standing waves, delivering balanced full-band absorption suitable for both speech and performance activities. Activity zones and corridor ceilings are fitted with high-density smooth fiberglass tiles from the Ceiling Series. The flat, non-textured surface controls overhead reflections and reduces ambient noise across public areas. All panels have impact-resistant faces engineered for heavy public use, and are factory pre-cut to fit building module dimensions.

Project Outcomes

• Multi-purpose hall reverberation time reduced to 1.2–1.4 seconds, ideal for youth arts activities
• Speech intelligibility improved by 44% across activity spaces
• Inter-room sound interference significantly reduced
• All materials meet ASTM E84 Class A fire safety standards for public assembly buildings