A recent finding about Teachers losing their voice and struggling to be heard over a loud class comes as no surprise. The problems of a noisy classroom can be addressed by lining the walls of the classroom with an acoustic fabric. But how can reverberation issues be addressed if the walls and floors cannot be treated and are made from hard reflective surfaces?

This is the problem that Hilton Brown Swim School faced. Housed in an industrial area, Hilton Brown Swim School was constructed from concrete tilt slab with large glass windows on its southern side, creating the perfect recipe for high levels of sound reverberation.

Staff at Hilton Brown often complained of having headaches, strained voices and feeling fatigued after a long day of teaching young children to swim. This drove Hilton Brown Director Howard Gumbley to turn to Autex for a solution.

Working from recommendations made by Marshall Day Acoustic Engineers Autex set to manufacture a solution for the 2800m³space. In a swimming pool, the ceiling is generally the most effective and easily treated surface due to its large surface area and because it is less likely to be damaged by direct impacts from people or equipment. However, an increased area of sound absorptive treatment is required when the absorption is located in one ‘plane’ some distance from the noise generating activity.

Familiar with Autex Quietspace® Lattice designs, Marshall Day Acoustics recommended installing 270m²of the Quietspace Lattice in the space. However, Autex wanted to create a solution that complimented the swim school and made it an exciting environment for children to learn to swim in.

Utilising the high performing design elements of Quietspace Lattice, Autex Design Engineers created The Droplet - a bespoke job consisting of 28 Workstation® fins custom cut into an amazing 3D water droplet on the ceiling.

Installed by APS Complete Property Services, The Droplet is manufactured from 100% polyester, making it perfect for the damp surrounds of the swimming pool as polyester is not affected by moisture, mould or mildew and will not rot or deteriorate in this type of application.

Overwhelmed by the performance of the final product Howard Gumbley said “I can’t believe this is the same building… I can actually hear the teachers talking to the students”. As a result of the install Hilton Brown Swim School is not only a comfortable space to learn, teach and swim in, but also a superb example of form and function coming together in a most appealing way.

Check out time lapse footage of the installation here:

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After a unique solution for your space? Talk to your Autex Account Manager and find out how Autex can custom design the perfect solution to redefine your environment.

www.autex.com.au or call 1800 678 160

Architecture & Design Team

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