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Scope: All aspects of design for
a new construction middle school, including
a gymnasium, band and choral rooms,
a commons with a stage platform, a black
box theater, classrooms, and office
spaces.
Challenges: Room
ventilators are cost-effective, but
can create mechanical noise challenges
in schools. Unlike a regular ducted
system, which uses diffusers to blow
air down from the ceiling, unit ventilators
blow outside air into the space. They
tend to be very noisy and do not meet
the Washington Administrative Code for
in-classroom room ventilators.
Solutions:
Our responsibility
was to achieve a design which was cost-effectiveusing
room unit ventilators. Because
our strict standard for noise levels
had to be met by the manufacturers,
we worked with the mechanical engineer
in order to meet the design criteria.
We were able to develop a solution
which was quiet enough to meet the Washington
Administrative Code for in-classroom
room ventilators, and which made Northshore
Junior High the first school
in
15 years to be completed using these
cost-saving units.
Additional Work:
More
cost-saving solutions involve the use
of absorptive perforated metal decking
on the roof as opposed to suspended
ceilings. Solutions for sound
isolation between sensitive spaces and
wall types and were also developed.
The adjacent band and choral rooms
were designed to allow simultaneous
usage. Acoustic treatments for the black
box theater and appropriate absorptive
treatments for the cafeteria were also
developed.
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