Background
The Leeds Audiology Clinic specializes in a number of treatments for those with hearing difficulties, ranging from assessments, to device fitting and more. Located in the prestigious Park Square area of Leeds in a Victorian development, we were delighted to work with this client to help them make their clinic the best it could be.
The Problem
As the Audiology Clinic is part of a Victorian development, many of the ceilings are high, which means that reverberation was a considerable problem. This is a common issue that we see in older buildings, where good acoustics were less of a priority at the time of construction. In addition, this project naturally required a few extra considerations owing to the fact that it’s a clinic that helps people with their hearing.
As tests and examinations are carried out in the clinic, speech intelligibility was of significant importance to the client, as it’s a key part of interaction between patient and audiologist. Prior to our treatment, room acoustics meant that speech wasn’t as clear as it could be. Being a clinic, privacy is also a priority for patients, so our final aim was to ensure that the degree to which sound could propagate was reduced.
The Solution
For this project, we used a combination of suspended rafts and wall panels to ensure that we were able to deal with all of the acoustic requirements. Rafts suspended from the ceiling help to combat reverberation in particular, whereas panels fitted to the walls help to absorb sound; improving speech intelligibility and reducing sound propagation through the walls. We chose to use SoundHush panels on this install, which offer outstanding sound absorption.
Acoustics aren’t our only consideration when we undertake an install. We also make sure that the end result looks great too, which is why aesthetics are always considered in the planning stages. For this project, we used SoundHush panels in a variety of colours to bring some vibrancy to the clinic room.
Results
We’re very pleased with the results we achieved on this project. The clinic room now benefits from superior acoustics; speech intelligibility is excellent, and reverberation is hugely reduced. In addition, the panels that we’ve installed have given the room some colour, making it a more attractive and relaxing place to be.
