Vanderbilt University OGSM

Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management (OGSM) needed a state-of-the-art, consolidated space to call their own, having occupied two separate buildings (with poor acoustics) for many years. Acentech led a thorough pre-construction study to understand past problems, and participated in a cross disciplinary planning charrette with users to pro-actively design optimized spaces. Our team also performed a study for construction noise and vibration—as construction needed to happen during the academic year—to understand impacts to the OGSM and the wider campus community.

Designed by William Rawn Associates Architects, the renovated Mechanic Hall is crowned by the new, outward-focused 50K sf addition featuring a transparent double-height multi-purpose room. Our acousticians created a 3Dlistening® simulation of the multi-purpose room (our first simulation to be presented remotely over Zoom) in order to help the design team and university stakeholders listen and decide together how robust the exterior glazing system needed to be to adequately protect events from disruption by ambulance and other traffic sounds outside, and to validate the interior acoustical design of the room.

Acentech provided guidance to control the build-up of activity noise in the atrium and café area, recommending acoustic wood finishes to preserve the architectural design intent, while providing a good aural experience to users.

We also ensured the loud, reverberant classrooms of the past were upgraded to spaces with great hearing conditions for both in-person and remote instruction.
In addition to our room acoustics services, we addressed sound isolation to provide appropriate privacy in closed rooms, and to prevent unwanted noise from active spaces from disturbing quiet classroom, office and study areas; and evaluated equipment noise of the new HVAC systems to ensure great listening conditions throughout.

The renewed OGSM is a warm and inviting addition to the Vanderbilt campus, one that fosters openness, inter-disciplinary collaboration and engagement with academic and corporate partners, and provides up-to-date resources to students, faculty and administrators.