| | WELCOME TO OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | We plan to keep our newsletter short and to the point, presenting news, articles,
and facts you’ll find interesting, informative and even entertaining. |
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Healthcare Group on LinkedIn
| D.L. Adams Associates, Inc. has a long history of healthcare design for new construction, as well as the renovation of existing facilities. We want to share our experiences and learn from other designers, so we started a special interest group on LinkedIn called “Hospital Acoustics”. In this group we discuss information concerning difficult design issues and ask the hard questions to get input from other very experienced individuals. We don’t encourage the posting of manufacturer product ads or design firm accolades, as this group is all about the exchange of information and ideas to the benefit of all the members. We believe this will also benefit the patients in the long run. |
| | | Photo of The Children's Hospital |
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| | | | Jeff Kwolkoski recently presented Lunch-and-Learns on Healthcare Acoustics to two Architectural firms, in Denver and St. Louis. Jeff has more of these informative presentations lined up on his calendar for the future. There are several other topics we can cover within our expertise, contact us to find out which topic would best fit your needs.
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| | Joe Hagedorn has rejoined our technical staff in Kailua as a Senior Consultant on a full-time basis. Previously, he was with us full-time from 2000 to 2001 and part-time on an as needed basis to help on various projects until recently. From August 2001 until July of this year, Joe served as Director of Exhibits for the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center in Kakaako, a commercial and retail district of Honolulu. We are excited about Joe’s return and hope that you will have the opportunity to meet him in the near future. |
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| Hawaii Office Renovation & Expansion: | |
| | We have just completed renovating and expanding our Kailua office. The renovation consisted of opening up a wall and adding a doorway into the adjacent office suite, which became vacant earlier this year, as well as the addition of some new furniture, new carpet throughout and new paint. The new space provides room for two new workstations, a conference area, and relocation of our “kitchen” area. |
| Tips for Architects and Contractors | : Acoustical Testing - Are You Ready? |
| We sometimes arrive at a project site for testing or a final checkout, only to learn that the building or systems are not ready yet. This can be a frustrating waste of everyone’s time and might require a return trip later at additional expense. To ensure that our visits go smoothly, keep these tips in mind before we arrive for the testing.
When we measure sound (STC) and impact isolation (IIC), we make a lot of noise, but we also need quiet.
• If the test units are occupied, make sure that the owners (and neighbors) have been informed about the testing and that we will have access to all units( both sides of each partition). Pets can be bothered by the noise and might need to be relocated during the testing.
• No construction noise. We can’t work while there is a backhoe outside the window, someone is hammering on the roof, and they are testing the fire alarm.
• The units must be reasonably complete. Doors, windows, ceilings, etc. should all be installed or we will not be able to get accurate results. Sometimes temporary measures are sufficient. Floor finishes are not important unless we | | Andrew Kowalyshyn measures
rooftop unit noise levels |
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| are measuring impact noise.
• Room selection. Small rooms like bathrooms and closets usually do not meet the minimum dimensions required by the ASTM test standards. Also, large rooms like combined living/dining/kitchen areas or tall spaces with lofts can be difficult to test. We can help review the plans and select the best rooms for testing.
• If we are measuring noise from the HVAC system, please have someone on hand that can control the system and turn individual pieces of equipment on and off.
Next month, we will discuss how architects and contractors can prepare before we come out for our final checkout. |
| | | During a recent project walk-through, I was reminded that not everyone understands the use of common stage terminology. I said something like “We need to check the microphone receptacles at downstage left.” The blank stares indicated to me that they had no idea where these receptacles were. I was somewhat surprised to find out that there were still people working on the project that were unfamiliar with these terms.
Stage Left/Right -The left and right sides of a stage from a performer’s perspective when standing on stage facing the audience.
Upstage/Downstage - English theatres in the Middle Ages were often sloped upwards (away from the audience) as a way to help create depth perspective. Hence creating the opportunity for one actor to "upstage" another.
Onstage - The direction toward the middle of the stage, or the stage area visible to the audience. |
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Offstage - The direction away from the middle of the stage, or the stage area not visible to the audience.
House Left/Right - The left and right sides of the audience or seating area, known as the “house,” as seen by an audience member facing the stage.
| Here's an old theatre joke that is a good example of how stage terminology can be confusing:
In is down, down is front. Out is up, up is back.
Off is out, on is in. And of course, left is
right and right is left. A drop shouldn't and a
'block and fall' does neither. A prop doesn't and
a cove has no water. Tripping is OK. A running
crew rarely gets anywhere . A purchase line buys
you nothing. A trap will not catch anything. A
gridiron has nothing to do with football. Strike
is work (in fact, a lot of work). And a green
room, thank God, usually isn't. Now that you're
fully versed in theatrical terms, break a leg.
But not really. |
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| | New Projects | | We’re excited to be part of the design team as the acoustical and IT/AV consultant for the new Casper College Music Building in Casper, WY. The nearly 35,000 square feet building is intended to have a recital/performance auditorium, recital and rehearsal rooms and a recording facility and is scheduled to begin construction in March 2012. | Completed Projects | • Adams State College, School of Music
• Parker Arts, Culture & Events Center
• Colorado School of Mines Brown Hall
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