Architectural acoustics

[1] The first application of modern scientific methods to architectural acoustics was carried out by the American physicist Wallace Sabine in the Fogg Museum lecture room.

[2] Architectural acoustics can be about achieving good speech intelligibility in a theatre, restaurant or railway station, enhancing the quality of music in a concert hall or recording studio, or suppressing noise to make offices and homes more productive and pleasant places to work and live in.

Sound reflections create standing waves that produce natural resonances that can be heard as a pleasant sensation or an annoying one.

[6] Reflective surfaces can be angled and coordinated to provide good coverage of sound for a listener in a concert hall or music recital space.

To illustrate this concept consider the difference between a modern large office meeting room or lecture theater and a traditional classroom with all hard surfaces.

Fabric can be wrapped around substrates to create what is referred to as a "pre-fabricated panel" and often provides good noise absorption if laid onto a wall.

Wood finishes can consist of punched or routed slots and provide a natural look to the interior space, although acoustical absorption may not be great.