Aquinata Hall
Acoustics By Design consulted on comprehensive audio-visual design and architectural acoustics for the Grand Rapids Dominicans’ Aquinata Hall in West Michigan. Our engineers developed a plan to make the technology unobtrusive, yet flexible for today’s communication needs. This was achieved by hiding speakers in the ceiling, installing a retractable hidden screen, and concealing the audio-visual control rack in a closet. In the back of the auditorium, a small video camera was integrated for broadcasting live services to each of the fifty dorm rooms. In addition, we made recommendations for construction features that would minimize reverb time and maximize speech intelligibility. The wood slat ceiling is acoustically absorbent, and the cork-based flooring product absorbs additional sound and vibration. The result was a space fit for mission and ministry.