AMS Acoustics: VIETNAM PROJECT UNDERWAY

By their very nature gymnasiums tend to be highly reverberant areas and the facility at UNIS in Hanoi is no exception.

When considering greater utilisation of the space and transforming it into a multifunction venue UNIS turned to AMS for an optimised design solution. In addition to its daily routine the faculty management considered that the site would be ideal as the centre for two major annual events. Namely – United Nations day and Graduation day.

Whilst the objective was clear the means to achieve a balance between the sports environment and an auditorium presented a number of challenges. Equally important was the need to harmonise the acoustical space such that each of the 500 attendees could listen attentively and comfortably enjoy notable gatherings.

Another significant factor is that the international stature of UNIS ensures the presence of multilingual audiences which places even greater emphasis upon the attainment of superlative speech intelligibility. An essential part of the process was the collection of raw data that enabled AMS to formulate the level of sound absorption required. This determined the platform upon which to build an integrated electro-acoustic system. AMS engineers opted for an imbedded intelligent signalling and routing system to support the front end line array speakers. The ultimate objective is to maximise the flexibility within the site and AMS elected to offset the underlying complexity with the inclusion of a responsive graphical user interface.

The initial design included two, wall mounted, touch sensitive screens strategically positioned to render easy operator control. In auditorium mode the venue shall ensure a comfortable environment with the reverberant effect minimised. The beneficial ambience carries over when the venue is returned to gymnasium mode with the resultant effect of enhanced communication as a teaching area.