Schools

Many of us attend school for a majority of our early lives. Schools are our children’s workplace, where young people work and play in their formative years and young adults begin their careers. With this much time and importance associated with school, it is important that people feel comfortable in them, and good speech intelligibility is critical to both the comfort and function of a classroom. While good acoustics in schools is critical to their function, it is not always the case.

The age of students in a classroom is an important factor when it comes to determining appropriate acoustics. Children are more sensitive to noise than adults.  This needs to be taken into account when designing preschools, kindergartens and elementary schools. In order to have peace and quiet, both sound absorption and sound insulation need to be first class. This will result in a more relaxed atmosphere for teacher and student alike-which leads to increased speech intelligibility and more effective teaching.

At higher school levels, it is not uncommon to have lectures in auditoriums, often requiring the installment of a sound system for support. Emphasis on communication between students also tends to increase with older students and needs to be considered in a classroom’s acoustic design.

A number of other school-related spaces that have special acoustical needs are: hallways, eating areas, gymnasia, assembly halls, offices, special classrooms, etc.

Mannvit engineering has experts specializing in acoustics and the solution of acoustical problems. At Mannvit, there is extensive experience in acoustical design and the design of sound systems in schools. In addition to this experience, Mannvit’s facilities for measuring and simulating acoustics are state-of-the-art, a combination

Project examples

• Reykjavík University, Reykjavík - Complete acoustical design
• Akranes School of Music, Akranes - Complete acoustical design
• Borgarfjörður Junior College, Borgarnes - Complete acoustical design
• Sandgerði Elementary School - Acoustical design of extension
• Akur Kindergarten, Reykjanesbær - Acoustical renovations