Why acoustics?
At high school I played guitar in jazz and heavy metal bands and was interested in a career in music. However, a degree in mechanical engineering seemed like the more practical choice for a stable career. It wasn’t until my last year of university that I discovered how to combine these two passions into one when I learnt that acoustic engineering was an actual career path. I promptly completed a paper on acoustics and did a 4th year project on active noise cancellation, got a job as an acoustic engineer, and haven’t looked back since.
What’s the trickiest problem you’ve solved?
I got asked to investigate a noise and vibration complaint from an apartment owner living above a commercial gym. What started out as a quick assessment and advice turned into a 4-year long project to upgrade the gym floor’s impact protection to a standard which was acceptable for the residents across the entire floor above.
The vibration analysis involved was highly theoretical and it was pleasing to see the theory match up well with our on-site measurements. The final outcomes of the upgrades were that the gym operator could run their business without major limitations, and the residents got the quiet enjoyment that they deserved. I had never been to the gym in my life as much as I did during that project!
What acoustic myths would you’d like to debunk?
The first is that sound sinks downwards as a preference, for example into a valley, rather than travelling up over hills or barriers. Sound doesn’t have a preference.
Similarly, sound travels almost equally well upstream or downstream in mechanical services ducts. Let me explain:
- The speed of sound in air is around 343 m/s
- The speed of air in a duct is generally less than 10 m/s
- So, the speed of a sound wave in a duct when observed from outside the duct is, at most, only ±3% whether travelling upstream or downstream the duct
What do you do outside of work that helps fuel your creativity and commitment to acoustics?
I still enjoy performing music in bands. Obviously, a critical part of this is the acoustics of the space in which I’m performing. It’s impossible not to mentally analyse the space for improvements while playing.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned at NDY?
If there’s a mundane task you’ve done a couple of times before, look for a better way to do it. Computers make great slaves for doing mundane tasks, they just need the right instructions.
What professional relationships do you value the most?
Probably as with all consultants, relationships with clients that listen and value your advice are the most meaningful. Acoustics affects everyone all the time – you can’t turn off your ears. It might not be life threatening or make you sick (except in extreme situations), but acoustics play a bigger part in people’s enjoyment of an environment than we give credit for.
What does Making Spaces Work mean to you?
The acoustic engineer’s role on a project is to work alongside the architect to give function to their form. Most people only think about the acoustics of a space when it’s really bad, e.g., too noisy or reverberant, at which point the acoustic design has been neglected or compromised so much that it fails to achieve its purpose. Conversely, when you’re in a space with excellent acoustics, it isn’t obvious. Listening or communicating occurs without effort and adds to your subconscious enjoyment of activity in the space.
Making Spaces Work for acoustics is about seamlessly integrating acoustic design into the bigger picture design, subconsciously improving the end-user’s experience.
