Acoustic Assessment Of A Classroom And Rehabilitation Guided By Simulation
The acoustics of spaces whose purpose is the acoustic communication through speech, namely classrooms, is a subject that has not been given the due importance in architectural projects, with consequences in the existence of adverse acoustic conditions, which affect on a daily basis the learning of the students and the well-being of teachers. One of the lecture rooms of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) was chosen, with a criterion of generality, in which the acoustic conditions were evaluated and compared with those that are known to be necessary for the intended acoustic communication effect. Several measurements were made in the space to investigate the acoustic parameters situation relatively to the appropriate range. An acoustic model of the amphitheater under study was developed in the EASE software, with which it was possible to obtain simulated results for comparison with the previously measured parameters and to introduce changes in the model to perceive their impact in the real space. In this phase it was possible to use the auralization resources of the software to create perception of how the sound is heard in the built model. This was useful for the phase of rehabilitation of the space because it was possible to judge subjectively the improvement of the sound intelligibility in that space. Finally, possible solutions are presented in the acoustic domain and using electroacoustic sound reinforcement aiming to provide a better acoustic comfort and communicational effectiveness for the people who use it.