American National Standards Institute S12.60-2002 ANSI has recognized that a poor acoustical environment in schools hinders learning and causes problems for students with special needs. These standards outline requirements for noise isolation. Compliance with these standards is voluntary, and individual states and school systems can choose to specify standard compliance. These new standards, along with the CHPS Washington criteria, have helped raise public awareness about the importance of noise control within schools. How does ANSI/ASA S12.60-2002 affect school design? The maximum permissible NC (Noise Criteria) is 35 dBA with maximum reverberation times of .6 to .7 seconds, based on room volme. Designing to meet this acoustical guideline requires careful attention to environmental, architectural, and mechanical acoustic design including school location, room size and shape, HVAC units, building layout, surface treatments, and construction of ceilings, walls, and floors.
		LaVenture Middle School Hutteball & Oremus Architects	Cost and Feasibility Integrating good acoustic design into the initial design of a school makes it possible to create a quality acoustic environment within budget. The key is selecting the right materials and equipment that will lower sound levels. It is more cost-effective to implement acoustic treatments in to initial school designs rather than adding solutions to existing schools. Careful attention to detail from the design phase through construction is necessary to prevent materials from having to be added after construction.
		In addition, the standards recognize the overall magnitude of sound from simultaneous operation of utilities and services.  Sound from utilities must not fluctuate by more than 3 dB for 5 seconds or create a buzz, rattle, hiss, whistle.