See photos following the text of this post.

The new Mukilteo Community Center can host a variety of functions, including community theater groups, dance groups, lectures and presentations, weddings, film presentations, community auctions, and dinners. The main space may be set up as either one large room with a seating capacity of up to 500 people in concert seating, or divided into two spaces by an operable partition that divides the space equally when deployed. In this mode, the front half of the space may be used with the stage. The sound systems accommodate this functionality in their operation and set-up, allowing simultaneous use of a sound system in each space.

The permanent video presentation systems will only be used when the room is operated as one large room or in the front half of the room when the partition is in place. An electrically-operated projection screen is located in the fly loft to allow projection of video signals from laptops or a DVD player.

Connections for a laptop and other portable video sources are provided in floor pockets on the stage and at the Stage Manager’s Panel backstage. A small portable rack with a DVD, video tape player, and an auxiliary input panel is provided next to the portable audio mixer for use during more complex shows. Video switching and signal processing are located in the backstage rack.

In addition to the extensive AV design work, BRC also provided design for architectural acoustics and mechanical noise control.

Entry

Fireplace Lounge

Stage

Mixing Board

Fitness Center

Reception Area

Photos follow text in this post.

BRC helped to sponsor the 19th annual AIA Charleston/CSI Charleston Oyster Roast held on Gold Bug Island last Friday night. This marked BRC’s first involvement in an oyster roast, and in addition to being a sponsor, our South Carolina office (with Roger being on the AIA board) was heavily involved in the weeks of planning for the event.

About the event: Held every year since 1993, it’s a combination party and fund raiser. AIA and CSI trade off responsibility for putting it on, and this was AIA’s year. Open to members of AIA and CSI, other members of the design professions, and vendors who support the A&E community, it brings together people who work together, but also those who might otherwise only know one another through email and phone calls – or not at all. Bushels of oysters are steamed (not roasted) and dumped out on wooden tables for diners to shuck and eat (this is not a sit-down meal). Protective gloves and oyster knives are provided. Chili and hot dogs are available for those few who don’t go for the oysters. With an open bar and a great band, this is always a popular event.

About the venue: Gold Bug Island lies on the Intracoastal Waterway about 10 miles east of Charleston and immediately adjacent to Sullivan’s Island. It takes its name from Edgar Alan Poe’s short story, The Gold-Bug. Poe was in the army in the 1820s stationed at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island, and the story - written later - is set on Sullivan’s Island, which now is steeped in Edgar Alan Poe lore (Poe Ave., Raven Drive, etc.). Poe’s Tavern is a favorite place for people from miles around – especially college students during the warmer months. Gold Bug Island has only one thing on it – the East Cooper Outboard Motor Club, which is a private club with a years-long waiting list. Their club house was the site of our event for the last two years.

Event photos are below:

Outside Dining

The Bar. Oyster tables are through door at left. Dining tables are also in here for those who want to put a plate together outside and sit down inside.

Oyster Table - Shells go into buckets under holes.

From Cooking Area - Oyster Pot at Right

Googling Words to Song on Phone

Enjoying The Band

Here’s an all-too-typical project scenario: the school’s mechanical system design was complete and construction of the school was nearly finished, but there was a problem. The science classroom instructors pointed out a need for compressed air in their lab classrooms, and that hadn’t been part of the mechanical equipment inventory.

So someone seized the initiative, purchased a compressor, and had it installed in the perfect place – a large mechanical room next door to one of the science classrooms. They fired it up, and that’s when the real problem began. Not only did the compressor make too much noise for the classroom, it made the library seminar room on the floor below practically unusable.

Although we had been the acoustical consultant for the project, the architect’s call asking us to investigate this problem was the first we had heard about an air compressor installation. It didn’t take long to investigate and come up with a solution. The compressor was a reciprocating type, a common choice because of relatively low cost, but a poor selection in this case because of high levels of noise and vibration.

In situations involving excessive noise there is often more than one way to approach the problem, but sometimes there is an obvious best choice. In this instance that obvious choice was to change from the reciprocating unit to a rotary screw compressor, such as typically used in medical/dental applications (yes, folks, that dentist’s drill is powered by compressed air). Problem solved.

Lesson learned: When installing machinery that is going to make noise and perhaps excessive vibration, save money and have the analysis done first. Our fee on this was probably the least of the costs. We hope the school district was able to return the original compressor and recover some or all of the cost of purchase, but installation, commissioning, and electrical hook-up of the first unit; removal of that unit; and installation, commissioning, and hook-up of the second unit, are costs that typically can’t be discounted.

Roger Andrews, who opened BRC’s office in Charleston, SC in January, 2009, has been elected as the Allied AIA member of the AIA Charleston Board of Directors for 2011. The election reflects the success of the Charleston office in its brief history, surviving the worst economic downturn in 80 years and now managing multiple projects in the greater Charleston area and other cities in the region ranging from Myrtle Beach, SC, 100 miles north of Charleston, to Savannah, GA, a hundred miles south.

Along with his successful completion of the Extron A/V Associated Certification training program, Jeremy attended the School of A/V Technology for system designers in Anaheim California. This class focused on digital video signal management, configurable control systems, video signal transmission, and Extron audio solutions. Students were challenged to use their acquired skills in hands-on simulations involving real-world A/V designs.
Designs addressing new challenges including High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), Display ID/EDID Support, hybrid systems (merging both digital and analog systems) and video image processing. Hands on activities also include detailed analysis of video waveforms using an oscilloscope.

Presented by co-author Mandy Kachur of Acoustics By Design located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dan and Jeanette represented BRC Acoustics with a presentation at the joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Institute of Noise Control Engineering in Baltimore, MD. The presentation entitled “New acoustical materials for a new world: the sustainable design transformations of the architectural acoustics industry” focused on new, repurposed, reformulated, recycled, and reused materials and products which acoustical consultants specify for inclusion in sustainable architectural designs. For instance, utilizing clear or translucent acoustical materials for absorption or sound isolation will support the day lighting trend of today’s architectural designs. Employing recycled cotton or polyester insulation in an acoustical design can contribute to the overall recycled materials content of a project while refinishing & reusing existing acoustical ceiling tiles can provide savings in the overall project budget without impacting acoustical performance. These new acoustical materials fit the bill for those owners and architects that want to incorporate acoustical performance in sustainable design.

Here is to another successful Spring Pledge Drive with our local National Public Radio station KUOW! The BRC crew helped man the phones as callers pledged their support & reached the program goal. As always, we had a great time and look forward to the next one. 

Phones ringing off the hook!

Good times!

Shocking!

Goal accomplished!

Dotting the i's and crossing the t's

Thom Mullins, CTS
Senior Consultant
Audiovisual, Sound, & Acoustics

The design industry is in the midst of a sea change as it moves from 2D CAD to BIM. New software is being written for BIM that could allow more accurate models to be programmed, but our industry - acoustics, AV, and sound systems design - has already done a great deal of work in modeling the acoustical environment and how sound systems behave that will prove useful. What are the challenges that lie ahead? Are we ready to take them on? Find out at ProAV Magazine from Thom Mullins’ latest article, “A Window of Opportunity.”

An early arrival at the office was rewarded with this view of sunrise behind Mt. Rainier as seen from our break room.  Krispy Kreme beckons in the foreground…

Worship spaces can be among the most difficult to get to work properly for acoustics and technology.   Many times the church is in transition between worship styles - moving from a more liturgical style of worship that requires longer reverberation to a more modern style that benefits from a shorter reverberation signature.  Typically, this is overlaid by both changes in instrumentation as well as a leap in the complexity of the technical systems (audio and video presentation) needed to support this change in style.  And last, but not least, is the need to integrate all this with the architectural vision of the facility.

You can find out more about how BRC Acoustics worked with the owner and the architect of Bethany Community Church to address these issues in the following article, written by Thom Mullins, in Religious Product News.