LANCASTER SCIENCE FACTORY, LANCASTER, PA.
RETROFIT TEAM
ARCHITECT: Tippetts/Weaver Architects Inc.
MATERIALS
Housed in a historic cork factory, the science factory recently added a 5,600-square-foot Curiosity Wing (a former mattress showroom) and now features more than 17,000 square feet and 70 exhibits, covering the topics of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
According to Executive Director Emily Landis, one of the priorities of the expansion and renovation was the improvement of the acoustic environment. “Our existing Hall of Science exhibit space was one large cavernous, 12,000-square-foot, 30-foot-high, exposed-structure space that had plenty of hard surfaces and very little acoustical treatment,” she says. “The result was a very loud atmosphere that reduced the quality of the experience for all.”
To help reduce noise levels throughout the facility, the Science Factory partnered with Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Solutions and installed four different acoustical treatment options from the company’s portfolio to meet the needs of the space.
InvisAcoustics Basics ceiling panels were selected for the existing Hall of Science and the Curiosity Wing. Designed specifically for exposed-structure spaces, the 2- by 4-foot panels maintain the integrity of exposed structure designs while making the space quieter. Acoustically, the ceiling panels have a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) of 0.75, which means they absorb 75 percent of the sound that strikes them. Black InvisAcoustics panels were chosen for all the Science Factory ceilings because they blended in well with the deck and did not draw attention to themselves.
In the Hall of Science, the panels are attached directly to the webbing of the I-beams in the ceiling. The panels are installed on the south face of each I-beam and additionally on the north face as needed depending on the noise level of the exhibit below. The Curiosity Wing has a much lower exposed deck and no I-beams. As a result, the InvisAcoustics panels were attached directly to the deck to keep the open look and maximize ceiling height. In both cases, the panels provide acoustical absorption while virtually disappearing in the ceiling.
To help absorb sound before it reaches the ceiling, 30 Soundscapes Shapes from Armstrong were installed on two opposite walls of the Hall of Science. All are hexagons, measuring nominal 48 by 48 inches. On one wall, they are installed as individual units. On the opposite wall, they are grouped together to resemble molecular structures. The shapes feature five custom colors taken from the Science Factory logo.
To provide more noise control in the Hall of Science, dozens of SoundScapes Blades from Armstrong were installed. The 2-inch-thick blades reduce background noise and reverberation time; sound is absorbed on the blades’ front, back and sides. The Hall of Science features three ribbons of the vertical acoustical blades.
Onsite acoustical testing validated the acoustical treatments in the Hall of Science. Prior to treatment, reverberation time was 2.6 seconds; following treatment, it was 1.5 seconds.
The Maker Space is a 1,400-square-foot space within the Hall of Science. The space, which is glass-enclosed and totally self-contained, is designed to provide a classroom environment where STEM educators can conduct hands-on workshops. Armstrong CALLA High CAC ceiling panels, which provide a combination of sound absorption and sound blocking in the same panel, were installed. They have an NRC of 0.80 and a Ceiling Attenuation Class (CAC) of 40. The CAC indicates a material’s ability to block sound; a CAC of 35 is considered high.
The ceiling panels are black and installed in a DESIGNFlex pattern of intermingled 2- by 2-foot and 2- by 6-foot panels. DESIGNFlex is a ceiling system portfolio that allows architects and design- ers to mix and match different panel sizes, shapes and colors. In terms of noise control, reverberation calculations inside the Maker Space indicate a reverberation time of 0.7 seconds.
ACOUSTIC CEILING PANELS MANUFACTURER: Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Solutions
PHOTO: ARMSTRONG CEILING & WALL SOLUTIONS