Yunji Kim – B.S. Audio and Music Engineering ‘25
Zian (Alan) Wang – B.S. Audio and Music Engineering ‘25
Haochen (Glenn) Xiong – B.S. Audio and Music Engineering ‘25
Samuel Yang – B.S. Audio and Music Engineering ‘25
Michael Heilemann, Dan Phinney
The main hall of Sri Vidya Temple, with its tiled flooring and a central fire pit equipped with a built-in ventilation shaft (above)
The acoustics of indoor spaces are often shaped through a combination of architectural design and acoustic treatment to achieve desired auditory characteristics such as controlled reverberation, improved clarity, and reduced ambient noise. In the case of the Sri Vidya Temple in Rush, NY, a recent change from carpeted to tiled flooring significantly increased the reverberation time within the main hall—a medium-sized space primarily used for religious ceremonies. These events involve a central fire pit and require continuous ventilation, both of which contribute additional acoustic challenges. This project aimed to reduce sound reflections and enhance clarity, with specific targets for reverberation time and clarity (C50 and C80) to support both speech and music. A custom solution was developed and implemented using several sets of DIY acoustic panels, designed with fire safety, portability, cost, and visual integration with the temple interior in mind. A prototype was constructed and evaluated in the space to assess its real-world performance.
The primary goal was to design, implement, and verify an acoustic treatment considering the constraints of the space:
- The treatment must not interfere with any religious visuals in the space
- The treatment must be fire resistant and/or fire proof due to daily indoor fire-related activities
- The treatment must be easy to clean significant smoke damage
- The treatment must be compatible with the in-house PA system
- The cost of the treatment must be within the prescribed budget
- The space is used for both speech and music, so the acoustics must accommodate both use cases
Architectural measurements were taken to develop an accurate floor plan of the main hall. Acoustical measurements were recorded using Room EQ Wizard (REW) to characterize the initial conditions of the space.
- Measured RT60: 2.0 seconds (around speech frequency band)
- Measured C50: -5.87dB
- Measured C80: -2.41dB
These results indicated poor clarity and excessive reverberation, particularly problematic for speech and musical elements of the ceremonies.
A 3D model of the main hall was constructed based on the measured dimensions and imported into Treble, an acoustic simulation software. Various treatment strategies were simulated to estimate their effects on reverberation and clarity. Simulations informed the selection of a practical and effective treatment plan that balanced acoustic performance with cost, safety, and aesthetic considerations.
The final treatment solution consisted of several sets of custom DIY acoustic panels.
» Core Material: Fiberglass for effective sound absorption
» Covering: Acoustic fabric for fire resistance and ease of cleaning
» Mounting: Hooks, clips, and wood frames for secure/adjustable ceiling installation
The panels were designed with portability, maintainability, size flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and visual unobtrusiveness to align with the temple’s interior requirements.
Results of reverberation time (left) and clarity (right) on Treble. Green represents the treated case; blue represents untreated.
Simulation Results: The bar graphs that show reverberation time and clarity before and after the treatment show the effectiveness of the proposed solution. In the treated case, reverberation time is reduced by nearly one second in the mid-frequency range (500–2000 Hz), where speech and music intelligibility are most critical. Clarity improves by approximately 1 dB in the same range, indicating better definition and articulation.
Panel Installation: Several iterations were required to get the sizing and suspension system just right. The initial panels experienced significant drooping at the joining points, which was corrected by shortening their length and using additional carabiner rings for a tighter suspension. The panels were designed to hang flat against the ceiling to avoid interfering with religious decorations. Existing ceiling hooks in the temple were used, and the panels can be easily attached using carabiners.
Manual: To support future expansion, we created a step-by-step DIY manual for constructing the panels. This guide will be provided to the temple along with 12 completed panels. Our simulations were based on a full 22-panel configuration, and the temple has the option to construct the remaining 10 panels using our guide. Additionally, the outer fabric can be customized with velcro, allowing the temple to change colors or patterns to match the space. This outer layer can also be removed for cleaning, extending the longevity of the panels and maintaining their performance in a smoke-prone environment.
(Finalized manual will be uploaded soon)