Acoustical Design for the Technical Building at Skywalker Ranch Part 1: Sound Isolation and Room Acoustics

David R. Schwind

The acoustical design criteria and high-performance constructions used for the Technical Building at Skywalker Ranch are discussed. Special constructions, such as floating floors and double-glazed windows, were used to achieve low background noise criteria. The scoring stage was designed to provide sound isolation from helicopters flying over at 500 ft. Interior acoustics had to meet stringent reverberation time criteria. A scale model was constructed to verify that flutter echoes would not occur between hard reflective arches in final mix, and a special sound-diffusing panel was also designed and tested in scale. Control of low-frequency reverberation and sound absorbers as well as quality-assurance procedures are also discussed.

Print ISSN
Published
1989-02
Content type
Original Research
DOI
10.5594/J02823