Designing for Quiet  

When vacant commercial buildings are adapted for multifamily residential or mixed-use occupancy, acoustic performance frequently becomes a critical design risk. Wall assemblies, structural systems, and mechanical infrastructure originally intended for office environments often allow excessive sound transmission that can negatively impact occupant health, comfort, and residential livability.

This course examines the most common acoustic challenges encountered in commercial-to-residential adaptive reuse projects and pairs each challenge with practical, design-based solutions. With an emphasis on sound transmission through walls and the limitations of Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings, the course explores how flanking paths, structure-borne noise, HVAC systems, and detailing influence real-world acoustic performance.

Participants will learn how early, architect-led design strategies and interdisciplinary coordination can improve field sound isolation outcomes, reduce post-occupancy noise complaints, and support occupant health, safety, and welfare. 

Image courtesy of PABCO Gypsum

As the QuietRock®️ Product Manager for PABCO®️ Gypsum, Mike Amaral, one of the original members of the QuietRock team that invented and patented the first sound-damped gypsum panel, QuietRock, focuses efforts to educate the AEC community on acoustic solutions that fulfill client requirements, and are straightforward for builders to implement.