Lesley University — Lunder Arts Center

Acentech, alongside the design team, strived to achieve enhanced room acoustics within the presentation and studio spaces, upgraded sound isolation between noise sensitive spaces, quiet background noise levels for enhanced listening conditions, and noise control within several studios, including animation, painting, digital, and photography.

Of particular concern to the university was noise from the building to the surrounding community. To assist with this challenge, Acentech modeled the building in CADNA, and designed noise control strategies to meet the project’s goals.

Two spaces within the building received special attention from Acentech’s audiovisual designers: the video screening room has a surround sound system, large projection screen, and speech reinforcement system; and the lobby/entry features a large video wall used to display gallery events and student art. Acentech’s telecommunications consultants designed the building’s wired and wireless networks, beginning with a WiFi heat map to determine the placement of access points.

This new, vibrant art center at Lesley also connects the university to the Cambridge community with three public art galleries, and an art library housed in the historic church building.