Today’s real estate developers are becoming more innovative as buildings continue to be built over subways and railroads, next to elevated highways and adjacent to airport runways. Hudson Yards built its platform and three residential towers over 30 active railroad tracks. MCR and Morse Development are about to open the TWA Hotel in a JFK airport terminal and predicting it will be one of the world’s quietest hotels. When the Four Seasons Restaurant moved to its new location directly above the Metro North train station, a sound-engineered walkway was created to produce an aural experience that put the sounds of the seasons into the Four Seasons. But for these new developments to be successful, Cerami Associates had to assess what the buildings would sound like to the tenants, residents, diners, and guests, well before the architectural designs were set.
As buildings are being designed, Cerami Associates’ team of experts rely on their acoustical engineering expertise to help navigate the design process to create environments that encompass the full spectrum of sensory engagement. The elements of acoustical design play a critical role in the overall functionality of a space, and ultimately impact the experience of its users. Cerami combines the science of sound into the art of design from the perspective of the occupant. In other words, they have a holistic approach to design that starts with people – an inside out approach opposed to outside in.
“Cerami has been in the business of acoustic design for over 50 years, consulting with developers and architects on skyscrapers and supertalls, hospitals, museums, restaurants and every building that wants a signature sound,” says Victoria Cerami, CEO of Cerami Associates. “The Cerami approach is based on fundamental design principles, while keeping pace with unbounded technology to optimize the space for its intended use.”
In an office space, a successful design means that an employee cannot understand the conversation in the office next door, ensuring speech privacy. In a hospital setting, a successful design means that the integrity of an MRI scan is not compromised by a trembling floor caused by doctors walking through the halls. In a lecture hall, a successful design means that the professor’s voice can be heard as clearly by the students in the last row of seats as the students in the first row of seats, promoting speech intelligibility.
Noise and vibration can have a negative impact on people and must be controlled and monitored in order to produce more beneficial and productive working and living environments. Noise is a serious problem and one that can literally make you sick. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), noise is the second largest environmental cause of health problems, just after the impact of air quality.
Cerami Associates, the largest women-owned acoustics and technology consultancy in the U.S., provides expert services in integrated Acoustic and Vibration Design; Audio Visual; Technology and Security; and Site Assessments utilized in creating optimized spaces conducive to evolving workplace, residential, medical, hospitality, leisure and learning environments.
For more information, visit www.ceramiassociates.com.