Drakes Broughton Village Hall, situated in the countryside near Pershore, Worcestershire, recently underwent a major building improvement and refurbishment as part of a local rejuvenation project. Upon re-opening in 2022 it was clear that although the improvements contributed greatly to the practicality and rental potential of the Hall, the acoustics had been detrimentally affected by the introduction of the new surface finishes. The result was a room that was much more reverberant, leading to issues with excessive noise build up when busy and general speech intelligibility.
Upon browsing the ‘Venues 4 Hire’ website hall Treasurer, Martin Boniface, saw Sound Reduction Systems Ltd’s (SRS) advert for free of charge site visits, reports and quotations to solve acoustic problems in all community, school and church halls and got in touch.
Once contacted, SRS Ltd sent a representative to site to talk to the client about their specific needs, drop off samples and literature and measure up the hall in detail. Following in the visit, SRS were able to provide Drakes Broughton with a detailed specification for the acoustic treatment that resulted in the current Reverberation Time (RT) being reduced from a very poor 3.17s to 1.13s representing a huge improvement in the acoustic performance of the space, along with a quotation and a panel layout design. This was achieved by installing 52m2 of Class A rated Sonata Aurio absorbers bonded to the underside of the ceiling in a colour scheme and pattern approved by the client.
Hall treasurer, Martin Boniface, commented:
"It became clear very soon after the Hall re-opened, that a side effect of the rebuilding work was that we had introduced a lot of hard surfaces which had an adverse impact on the acoustics in the Hall. We identified acoustic panels as a possible solution and talked to a few organisations that did this type of work, including Sound Reduction Systems.
A representative of SRS attended the Hall, carried out a survey and explained the options. We particularly liked the material being used as it was lightweight, had a great range of colours and could be affixed to the celling without damaging the new ceiling. The SRS ‘Aurio’ solution was stuck to the celling using an adhesive; other options required brackets and drilling which would invalidate the warranty on the new ceiling.
The price quoted was competitive and the work was completed in both a timely and professional manner. The Sonata Aurio acoustic panels have made a great difference in reducing the reverberation and they have also added a splash of colour as we used a mix of Cherry and Teal colours which complement our branding colours. Feedback from Hall users has been very positive.
A great job and I would not hesitate in recommending them.”
SRS Ltd have been manufacturing and installing acoustic products for over 40 years with a reputation for honestly, quality and service. Their wealth of experience gives customers confidence that the solutions specified will be exactly what is required to solve their noise issues. This knowledge combined with the use of special acoustic modelling software allows SRS to specify only what is needed, without overkill and extra expense for the client.
If you have a noise issue in your village hall, or in any large, open area, please get in touch to see how SRS can help with soundproofing and sound absorption. You can email info@soundreduction.co.uk or call 01204 380074 or fill in the simple 3 Step Estimator form online for your FREE report and quote: https://www.soundreduction.co.uk/3se/
Useful Links:
Drakes Broughton Village Hall - https://www.dbvillagehall.com/
Drakes Broughton – Facebook
