AIA - Grand Valley Chapter

Acoustics By Design

Acoustics By Design provided acoustical engineering and AVL systems design for the $15 Million, 124,000 SF, Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College. Our work included the 1,100 seat Auditorium, 300 seat Recital Hall, Choir, Band, Rehearsal Rooms, and support spaces.

The FAC has a long tradition of hosting a wide variety of performances throughout the year, from lectures to symphonies to rock concerts. Some notable past guests include Dave Matthews, Victor Wooten, Third Day, Jars of Clay, and Switchfoot, just to name a few.

ABD worked closely with GMB Architects + Engineers and the Calvin Staff to design state of the art AVL systems and teamed with Acentech to optimize the acoustical features for the FAC. Our professional engineers used a binaural dummy head to measure the acoustical response throughout the auditorium and balcony. This data, combined with a predictive 3D computer model of the space, gave us the acoustical "fingerprint" of the space. Our design included adjustable acoustic features that can optimize the sound for any type of event. The new facility has been met with rave reviews and is poised to meet the needs of the school for years to come.