Rather than treating the campus like a generic studio project, the team began with detailed site noise monitoring to understand the actual source levels and frequency content affecting the property. That work has created the foundation for right-sized solutions, allowing the design team to target performance without layering on unnecessary cost.
That approach continues to influence several major recommendations. For the sound stages, Trinity Consultants has helped establish the need for a concrete roof deck to control intrusive exterior noise, particularly from aircraft and helicopters. The team has also been addressing one of the project’s trickiest acoustic conditions: the large rooftop smoke exhaust openings required for production effects and life safety. Those openings create a potential weak point in the building enclosure, so the acoustic strategy has needed to account for both sound generated by the exhaust systems and sound entering the stages from outside.
Mechanical system design has been another major area of impact. Because the project is pursuing a silent air approach instead of simply shutting systems off during filming, background noise targets need to be met while systems continue operating. Trinity Consultants has recommended acoustical silencers at duct penetrations into the sound stages to control fan noise and strengthen the overall sound separation of the enclosure. The team has also worked through airflow-related noise by pushing for duct sizing and detailing that keep air velocities low and avoid hiss, including the use of open-ended ductwork where appropriate. In support spaces, that same practical lens has helped avoid unnecessary cost, such as catching overapplied STC-rated door requirements in office areas and steering the design back toward acoustically appropriate, more efficient solutions.
