Advice for Students after 1st meeting

Comments on the Students’ Design after 1st Meeting on 19 May 2017
Design Briefs
在現有的北京建築大學西城校區圖書館地段，設計新建「西直門演藝中心」，為北建大師生及周邊居民提供文化藝術活動場所。

具體功能包括：
•一個400個觀眾席的實驗劇場（black box theatre）
•2個400-600席位的音樂廳（music hall）
•2個200席位講堂（lecture room）
•1個前廳--兼具展覽、接待功能
•其它相關配套設施，如售票處，咖啡廳、儲藏室及設備室等
為簡化設計任務，地段內不用設置停車位。

BUCEA has decided to open a multi-purpose facility. It will be located in a densely populated urban setting. The site footprint is approximately ~3200 square meters, and it is a rectangle of approximately 82 m by 40 m. It is flanked on both short sides and one of the long side by neighboring buildings.
All the preliminary designs and concepts are good today. Some of my following advices are referring to some slides of my PPT tomorrow (attached).
Students are suggested to review the design briefs above. The volumes are areas of the spaces should be reasonable. In addition, space should be allocated based on their functions and workflows. Some spaces are required to be close to each other’s. For example, a 450-seat music hall may need around 600 square meters. There is also a requirement of volume to offer acceptable reverberation. Music Halls
The optimal reverberation time (RT) of music halls is around 2 sec. For musical performance, the volumes of the halls should be around 9 to 11 cube meters per seat (Slide 8). The ceiling height should not exceed 15 meters to achieve 2 seconds of RT. If there is a balcony, to avoid the acoustic shadow (Slide 2), the deep (D) should not be longer than the height (H) of the area below the balcony (please refer to Slide 7). In addition, the ceiling of the area below the balcony should be designed to properly reflect the sound (Slide 7).
Reflectors (or ceiling) and side walls should be intended to enhance the early reflection (within the 50ms from the direct sound), please refer to Slides 2 and 3 and 11. The ceiling height of the halls should not exceed 13 to 15 meters. The reflectors (or ceiling as reflectors) should be located based on maximum 17m different between the direct
and reflected paths. However, the rear wall should be diffusive or absorptive to avoid the confusion of the sound direction. Generally, for music hall, the rear wall are acoustic diffusers (Slide 4).
Seating arrangement should be referred to the Slide 6. Minimum 6 cm clearance or Preferable 12 cm clearance. Alternatively, 6 degrees angle of the curved floor slope.
To avoid flutter echoes, the parallel walls should be avoided. At least 3 – 5 degrees is required to break the flutter echoes.
The platform size can be referred to the Slides 15 and 16.
Some facilities, such as Dressing Room Suite and Rehearsal Room (if any) which must have easy access to the stage.
Lecture halls
The optimal reverberation time (RT of speech is less than 1 sec. l For speech, the volumes of the halls should be less than 5 – 7 cube meters per seat (Slide 8). The ceiling height should not exceed 5-6 meters.
Allocation of Rooms
Students are suggested to review the ecape routes based on the fire safety requirement. In aidditon, the toilets should be designed to handle the peak useages.。