Integrating design, acoustic performance and fabrication: the case of the acoustic optimization of a meeting room

The integration of design, performance and fabrication has been object of continuous research in contemporary architecture. However, this integration is rather limited for the acoustic performance, which is commonly introduced at later stages of the design process. This paper aims to present the integrated design and fabrication of an acoustic performance-driven wooden structure in an existing meeting room. A complex double curved structure has been considered for the general shape of the design concept. It has been based on a “two-way joist shell” (waffle structure) realized through the repetition of a single reference module, embedding different acoustic properties: absorptive, reflective and diffusive. The room clarity and reverberation time have been considered as key performance indicators throughout the existing conditions measurements phase, simulations and optimization workflow. The paper gives an overview of the conception and implementation of a digital workflow that is applied at a first level for the integration of the design and acoustic performance, and at second level for the integration of the design and digital fabrication of a full-scale prototype and its practical execution. Finally, the work highlights the advantages of a process that incorporates interdisciplinary techniques and innovations in the built environment.