ARCHITECTURAL AND ACOUSTICS DESIGN OF PERFORMING VENUES CONCERNING SUSTAINABILITY

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1 ARCHITECTURAL AND ACOUSTICS DESIGN OF PERFORMING VENUES CONCERNING SUSTAINABILITY Weihwa Chiang, Haohsiang Hsu, Weien Lan, Lucky Shinjyun Tsaih, and Huiping Wu Department of Architecture, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43 Keelung Rd Section 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan. Sustainable built environments are multi-dimensional and successful design requires intensive inter-disciplinary coordination. The high acoustic quality in performing spaces would inevitably impact on energy consumption and resource use. This paper reported case-based study of sustainable concerns for architectural and acoustics design for the performing venues. Increase in urban connectivity and efficiency of utilization was reviewed regarding resource sharing, encouraged public transportation, enhanced storm water management and biodiversity. Strategies to reduce space size and material consumption due to acoustic needs and comfort were analyzed. Noise insulation of an actual building in hot-humid climate zones was reported where stack vents were integrated with the active HVAC system. Discussions were also made about interactions between design criteria and coordination throughout the buildings life cycle. 1. Introduction Designing of performing venues has to satisfy technical perfection and artistic motive. The architect not only have to put together good acoustics, complicated auditorium and circulation spaces, and theatre engineering but also have to create an environment that symbolize the artistic activities contained by the building for the general public, a functional and pleasant working places for the artists, and a safe and welcoming space for the concert goers [1]. While Sydney Opera House by Jorn Utzon might be the best known building for performing arts ever for its extraordinary form, Berlin Philharmonie by Scharoun is recognized for its innovative auditorium space and acoustics [2]. 1.1 Sustainability for performing venues Sustainable built environment is typically aimed for minimized environmental impact while maintaining healthy living quality. Technical excellence and social-economic concerns are equally important, especially when involving urban scale planning, programming, and long term operation. Decision making becomes highly multi-dimensional and relies on intensive inter-disciplinary coordination, both concurrently and successively [3]. From technical perspectives, the large scale spaces and the technical contents related with theatre engineering make it difficult to apply the sustainable design strategies commonly used for office and residential spaces. Examples of highly cited green theatres or concert halls are limited [4]. Among ICSV22, Florence (Italy) July

2 the few examples, however, energy saving for HVAC system and theatre lighting is one of the key issues. Others may involve with resource use, for instance to minimize unrecyclable construction waste, biodiversity, and transportation energy saving. Specific features include green roof, roof pedestrian, storm water retaining, and etc. in performing venues where the form is normally low-rise or mid-rise. In urban scale, the overall energy saving can be also achieved through sharing of spaces and utilities with neighbouring office buildings and public facilities including museums, libraries, educational institutes, and others when peak operation hours of performing venues are normally in the evening. This should be considered in the planning or pre-design phase. Connection with these buildings plus commercial districts also help enhance the utilization rate of the performing venues. Appropriate sizing of auditoriums and public spaces is also a major factor affecting material consumption and energy use [5]. This can be attributed to the programing as well as design. The capacity and volume of the auditorium is typically determined by both technical requirement, comfort and market. The floor area and height of the foyer, hallways and corridors are not clearly specified in program typically and therefore are primarily determined by the designers. Except as metropolitan centres, certain degree of variability in use can reduce the cost of building separate auditoriums for different functions but also increase the occupation rate of the venues. The variable features, if being properly managed, in either acoustics, seating, or stage layouts make it possible to satisfy multiple forms of performances. Jessy Jones hall, Texas and the hall at University of Akron, Ohio demonstrated the practical ways to change volume and seating capacity simultaneously. Contemporary digital, multi-media technology offers alternative atmosphere to play traditional musical or theatrical programs and reducing the needs of physical sceneries and stage sets. Occupation rate of a performing venue also relies on marketing and facility management. The latter involves renting or lending out auditorium and individual public spaces to different users at the same time if certain degree of space separation and security control can be provided. While in developed countries or areas attentions are placed upon restorations, remodelling or rehabilitation, in developing areas there are demands for new facilities. Use of existing constructions or materials not only would reduce resource use but also help attract potential users who are sensationally attached to the original facilities or the site. The renovation and extension of opera house, Lyon and Elbe Philharmonic Hall, Hamburg are some examples. 1.2 Sustainable concerns related to acoustics Acoustics has not been highly valued in most green building rating systems because of its low association with energy efficiency although the impact of ambient noise has carry weight in newer versions of rating systems. None the less, the needs of extreme quietness and superb sound quality, both unamplified and amplified, in performing spaces would inevitably impact on energy consumption and resource use. In the long run airborne traffic noise from bus, cars, and other small motorized vehicles may decreased gradually because of the encouragement of electric powered or other type of low carbon emission vehicles. Noise disturbance from amplified, outdoor performance events would impact both indoor events and the neighbouring residential areas and might be easily overlooked during urban planning phase or project programing phase. Passive design strategies such as natural ventilation have challenged the common practice in HVAC system, building acoustic, lighting, and environmental impacts. [6][7] Minimization of auditorium spaces can be realized by selecting lower upholstery seating, limiting chair size, and open roof structure and catwalks. The increase in hall volume by replacing lightlyupholstered seating with highly-upholstered seating can be 40%. [8] Material saving may be achieved by lowering overall noise insulation requirement through optimized spatial organization with actively used buffer spaces between auditoriums, large rehearsal rooms, and recording studios. Extremely complicated sound proof construction can be also avoided ICSV22, Florence, Italy, July

3 by separating acoustic zoning with fire zoning. Extending service life and ease of replacement should be considered for auditorium interior, absorbent materials, and insulation materials. Reducing component weight, for instance using light weight floating floor, would contribute to saving in structural materials. This paper reported and addressed case studies with sustainable concerns of performing venues regarding urban connection, spatial organization, space sizing, building components and materials, building service systems, and theater mechanical and electric systems. The authors served as the acoustic consultant for most of the projects. In some of them the authors also acted as the sustainability advisor and researcher. Figure 1. The under-ground extension that connects the remodelled Dr. Sun Yet-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei to the MRT station. Before Gallery Administration Level 1 Level 2 Figure 2. Conceptual floor plans of the remodelled Dr. Sun Yet-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei. ICSV22, Florence, Italy, July

4 2. Sustainability through enhanced user interaction, facility sharing, and management Sharing of energy and facilities can be realized step by step through urban renewal. Dr. Sun Yetsen Memorial Hall at Taipei launched its remodelling plan (by Taiwan Tech and Bio-architecture Formosana) in It was aimed for an underground extension for mechanical rooms, loading space, cafés and shops, and parking garage. The extension also served as the connection between the hall and the MRT station (Fig. 1). The parking spaces on the ground was significantly reduced by moving some of them to the basement and eliminating the others by improving the connection to neighbouring public parking. It was also intended to reorganize the indoor spaces of the Memorial Hall where the main auditorium was surrounded by galleries where foyers, public spaces, toilets and other utilities are efficiently used by sharing. Both the administrative offices and galleries was more tightly connected that yielded more integrated space to the audience and the general public. Some of the exhibition rooms can be converted to public spaces, too (Fig. 2). Occupation rate and marketing can be enhanced by interaction between the general public and the place, especially when involving rehearsing, backstage activities involving the scenery, setting of stage lighting, and etc. A public loop for the general public was proposed in the Taipei Performing Arts Centre project (by Office of Metropolitan Architecture and Kris Yao / Artech) where the loop was weaved through the back stage spaces and the auditorium. Fig. 3 shows the loop leading the general public from the main entrance (+0 m) to the back stage level (+15 m) of the grand theatre (in yellow) and the multi-form theatre (in blue). The encouraged interaction, however, caused extra effort to ensure sufficient noise insulation of loop envelopes that penetrated the acoustic zones. Figure 3. The public loop (in red) in the new Taipei Performing Arts Centre project: with the stage removed (left) and with the 2 stages in different colours (right) (constructed by the authors based on design information open to the public) 3. Innovative approaches for individual spaces regarding sizing and material use Minimized carbon footprint of an auditorium can be realized by incorporating the volume of the structural, maximizing the use of recycled or recyclable materials, and minimizing the use of interior materials that have shorter service life. The air-quality may benefit from low degree of interior finishing, too. While the new Taichung National Opera House (by Toyo Ito & Associates and Da-ju Architects) featured curved RC structures without beams and columns, the structure form of the auditoria was designed to serve as the acoustic envelope that substantially reduced the use of interior materials. The limited amount of extra finish materials are metal diffusing elements, applied to the flat walls only (Fig. 4). Low degree of finishing or decoration were also applied to most of other spaces of the ICSV22, Florence, Italy, July

5 building. Similar concept was applied to the 1500-seat main auditorium of Nature Loving Wonderland (by Long-tai Architect), Hsinchu County, Taiwan where a more conventional structure system was used (Fig. 5). With precise volume control, exposed truss structure, and convex shape concrete walls, only a small area of absorbent materials was used in the hall. Figure 4. Scale model (left) and diffuser module (right) of the grand theatre of Taichung National Opera House. Figure 5. Conceptual rendering (left) and the completed building (right) of the main auditorium of Nature Loving Wonderland, Hsinchu County, Taiwan. In the 1200-seat concert hall of Pingtung County Performing Arts Centre (by Kris Yao / Artech), Taiwan wood carving by local artists were blended with the diffusing module on the side walls. Standing seats along the side walls in Fig. 6 were used to buffer the variable attendance while reducing total floor area of the hall. Figure 6. Sectional drawing (left) and photo (right) showing wood carving and standing seats in the concert hall of Pingtung County Performing Arts Centre, Taiwan. ICSV22, Florence, Italy, July

6 4. Indoor environmental quality associated energy saving HVAC system of the auditorium The cooling of a performing auditorium is characterized by high sensible load from the stage lighting and high latent load from the audience. High air exchange is required to remove concentrated indoor containments, in particular CO2. Displacement air system is ideal in this regard to maintain a high air volume while confining the comfortable zone only near the audience and the performers. With temperature gradient or stratification by using floor or low level supply inlets the accumulated heat and contaminates could be vented out directly. Noise insulation of Rushihdau Auditorium at Hainan (by Long-tai Architect), China in hot-humid climate zones was reported where stack vents were integrated with the active HVAC system. A 12- m tall chimney was applied. Preliminary results demonstrated efficient removing of accumulated heat (Fig. 7) and acceptable noise insulation performance (Fig.8). The noise insulation need to be improved if noise sources other than road traffic is considered. Smaller size vents may be considered that would result in a greater temperature stratification. On-going optimization is conducted with closely coordination with the HVAC engineer and the architect. Figure 7. CFD simulation of the stack ventilation integrated with the active HVAC system in Rushihdau Auditorium at Hainan, China: with no ceiling reflector (right) and with a disk shape ceiling reflector (left). Figure 8. Estimated noise level of Rushihdau Auditorium at Hainan, China. ICSV22, Florence, Italy, July

7 5. Discussions Multi-dimensional concerns in building sustainability have increased the needs for design integration. For performing venues, concurrent coordination in planning and design phases is essential among the professional team, the projected managing group, and the clients. The letter would involve the responsible governmental officials, the sponsors, the performing professionals, the representatives from the neighborhood, and the related general public. Siting, connectivity to the neighborhood, capacity sizing, and cost estimation would primarily be determined in the early phases. Hopefully through carefully coordination innovated thoughts could be generated. While a project may last for several years, handover of information within individual phases and between phases is also crucial. When confronted with the complicated requirements in acoustics, stage engineering, HVAC, and building structure, the overall amount of carbon emission need to be checked for both design and building fabrication. The situation can be even more complicated when social-economic aspects are considered in addition to technical aspects. In the future sustainability of a performing arts center would be inevitably valued by its efficiency of usage. This may be realized by innovative spatial design that promote the interaction between the potential users and the place. REFERENCES 1 Appleton, I. Buildings for the Performing Arts: A Design and Development Guide. Architectural Press, Amsterdam, (2002). 2 Forsyth, M. Design for the Performing Arts. Batsford, London, (1987). 3 Kibert, C.J., Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery John Wiley & Sons, 3rd Edition, Hoboken, (2012) 4 Komoda, M. Soka University of America Performing Arts Center Openss, Nagata Acoustics On-lin News (287)ation, November, (2011). 5 Size Matters: How a Growing American Audiene Affects the Size and Cost of Performing Arts Spaceschwenke, Open Resource by Theatre Projects Consultants, July, (2012). 6 De Salis, M.H.F., Oldham, D.J. and Sharples, S. Noise Control Strategies for Naturally Ventilated Buildings, Building and Environment. 37, (2002). 7 Lyons, R., Investigation of an Open Screen Acoustic Performance, Applied Acoustics. 49(3), (1996). 8 Beranek, L. L. Concert Hall Acoustics, Acoustics 2012 Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China May, (2012). ICSV22, Florence, Italy, July