Damansara Performing Arts

Centre
AIM AND OBJECTIVE

In this project, our aim and objectives are:

• 1. To produce an in-depth acoustic design analysis of our chosen auditorium, and judge it’s influence to the effectiveness of the acoustical theory in Damansara Performing Arts Centre.

• 2. To study and analyse the characteristic of acoustic auditorium and suggest way(s) to improve the acoustic qualities within the space.

• 3. To generate well-documented report based on the researched data and on-site analysis that are able to the relationship between acoustic design with space.

SITE INTRODUCTION

Name of auditorium: Damansara Performing Arts Center

Location: H-01, DPAC, Empire Damansara, Jalan PJU 8/8, Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya

Type of auditorium: Multipurpose auditorium

Year of completion: 2013

Total volume: 1880.534m³

Total seats: 169 units

Description: Damansara Performing Art Center(DPAC) is one of the few well known performing Art Centre in Malaysia. DPAC aims to further enhance public awareness on the important of art-forms that
enrich lives and the shaping of today’s world. DPAC Consist of a few different spaces including a proscenium theatre, a black box, an experimental theatre, an indoor theatre-foyer and several dance
studios. In this research we focus on the acoustic configuration on the proscenium theatre.
 ACOUSTIC AND ARCHITECTURE
• Construction elements and materials of the finished spaces determine how well the sounds are being transmitted to the adjacent spaces and how well the sounds are perceived.

• Fibre or material size, porosity, thickness, and density are the major factors for sound absorption within an interior space. Acoustic performance will affect inhabitants not only physiologically but also
psychologically and sociologically.

SOUND REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM

TYPES OF SPEAKERS in DPAC

The experiential auditorium uses three kinds of speakers:

a. Passive Subwoofer

b. 2-way Full Range Cabinet Speaker

c. In wall/ceiling speaker

2-way Full Range Cabinet Speaker - A full-range loudspeaker drive unit is defined as a driver which reproduces as much of the audible frequency range as possible

Passive Subwoofer - A subwoofer is a loudspeaker that is dedicated to reproducing the low frequency band of your audio.

- The design of passive subwoofers broadens their potential to generate the lowest frequency.

In wall/ceiling speaker - work like a like a regular speaker but are mounted in a frame and set into your wall.

- produce high quality sound whilst being hidden from view.

PASSIVE SUBWOOFER

• Passive subwoofers are powered by an external amplifier, in the same fashion as traditional loudspeakers. subwoofers demands

more power and energy to reproduce low-frequency sounds, the power depends on the requirements of the subwoofer speaker and the capacity of the room.

• There are 4 units of passive subwoofers placed at both sides of the stage to produce wide sound waves in the theatre.

• One passive subwoofers are staggered on top of another, in order to conserve space.

2-WAY FULL RANGE CABINET SPEAKER

A full-range loudspeaker is a box with one or more individual drivers in it. The drivers may cover different frequency ranges.

The 2-way speakers tend to “bleed” better. This crossover of sound frequencies is actually pretty desirable. It include amplification

inside the cabinet, while others allow for separate.

There are 2 units of 2-way Full Range Cabinet Speaker at both sides of the stage to produce wide sound waves in the theatre.

They are staggered on top of passive subwoofers in order to conserve space.

IN WALL SPEAKERS
• The in-wall speaker is positioned into the perfect spot for optimizing sound quality, as they are not
traditional speaker that use mains power.
There are three components comprised in the in-wall speaker: speaker, amplifier and speaker cable.
• These speakers are mounted on a concrete wall at ceiling level, regulating the sound wave to the
reflector ceiling panel before reaching to the audience; enhancing the clarity and quality of the original
sound.

SOUND CONCENTRATION
• The sound reflection and flutter echoes caused by theatre wall that taper inward, however, is being avoided
because of the absorbent material at the side of the stage that causes the sound has more concentration at the
rear of theatre as the sound reflection is sent from the side wall to the central and back seats .
• The disturbing reflection that sent back to the front at the right-angles of rear wall is being avoided
because of its structural wall surfaces, which the sound majorly concentrated at the rear of theatre.
• The sound being absorbed at theatre stage, and sent from the side walls to the central and back
seats, as well as diffusing at the rear wall surfaces resulted in a higher sound concentration on the
central and back seats in front of the entrance.

SOUND ATTENUATION
• From a point source the sound waves will be spherical, and the intensity of sound will be approximate
the Inverse Square Law.
After we collected the data of sound intensity level using sound level meter using
the Bluetooth speaker, we plotted out the sound distribution throughout the seating area and found out
that energy loss of sound propagation in DPAC is low because of its wide shallow plan.
• The distance from the stage to the end is only 21.44metres long because of its concave arrangement
of seating relatively close to the stage.
SOUND REFLECTION
• Sound reflection is important in the auditorium because sound waves that do not meet any acoustical obstacles faced a decrement of intensity as it
spread out over a larger area. The longer the distance of the sound waves travelling in the air, the sparser it is. The sound waves will come into
reflection wen the wavelength of oscillation meet a large acoustical surface.

CEILING REFLECTION PATTERN

The disadvantage of using horizontal reflector is that, with the availability of modern sound system, it is lack of acoustical reason to be used because it is
too small to be acoustically effective. The vertical reflector is large to radiates the sound power to the back and top of the speaker, so to reflect it to the
cyclorama wall behind the speaker and redirect this power for enhanced clarity and speech intelligibility. The horizontal reflectors at the ceiling
contradicted with the vertical reflector at the stage, because they do not cover a significant part of the solid angle directed from the speaker.
This auditorium has relatively hard walls, which can be evidenced that the speaker is quite close to some sound-reflecting surfaces such as vertical
reflectors and cyclorama wall on the stage. This leads to strong early reflections that will add to the direct sound in such a way to increase the speech
intelligibility.
• FLUTTER ECHOES AND SOUND DELAY
ECHO AND SOUND DELAY
• Sound echo is the reflection of sound from the surface to the listener. Different sound delay period is needed to suit different type of function. For
example a space use for speech would demand as little sound delay as possible, whilst space for classical music demand the opposite. In our analysis,
Only reflective surface will be treated as effective source of sound delay. Spaces for speech, time delay above 40m/sec will be sound delay. As for
music, Time delay above 100m sec will be echo.
• NOISE INTRUSION
ENVIRONMENTAL SOUND FROM EXTERIOR
Vehicular Noise From Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong
• Surrounded by a diverse range of vegetation and concrete buildings, Damansara Performing Art Centre
(DPAC) is more than 150 meters away from Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong(LDP highway).
• Noise intrusion originated from vehicles and road traffic couldn’t be identified inside the theatre, but
minimal noise intrusion can be identified outside the theatre from the surrounding context
Car Park and Audience Entrance
• The underground car park is also considered one of the contributing factor to noise intrusion. The problem
is resolved by the means of acoustic doors; with rockwool core infill that potentially reduces a certain the
amount of unwanted noise coming from the underground car park.
ENVIRONMENTAL SOUND FROM EXTERIOR
The 3mm thick plywood has the ability to reflect the unwanted noises coming from the car park. The 25mm thick rockwool absorb the noise, resulting
the unwanted noise being faltered and cancelled from entering the theatre, whereby good sound insulation can be ensured.
Double door entrance system
• The audience entrance is located right beside the lobby of DPAC, which the arise of unwanted noise is inevitable
when people are present at the lobby.
• The double door entrance system create a barrier between two spaces, capturing the noise in a confined space.
• Acoustic doors and velvet curtain can be found in here, in order to absorb and reflect the noise effectively.
 ENVIRONMENTAL SOUND FROM EXTERIOR
FCU Air-conditioning ( structural borne sound path)
• In any air-conditioned room, the noise of a functioning air-conditional is unavoidable. It transmitted via structural borne in which sound is vibrating
on the solid surface on the duct. The vibration of the noise is controlled by wrapping a layer of foam around the ducting. The air duct is connected to
the opening underneath the seat.