Project Overview
The Mackay Northern Beaches State High School Performing Arts Centre was developed to provide students with a contemporary, high-performance environment for music, dance and drama.
As a space designed specifically for performing arts, acoustic performance was a central consideration. The ceiling needed to help control sound within the room while also reducing the transmission of noise beyond the space, without pushing the project beyond its budget or compromising its fire requirements.
Durra Panel provided a cost-effective way to address these requirements within a single ceiling system. Acoustic Pattern panels were combined with Durra 300 I-Beams to create a pre-finished solution providing both sound absorption and control of breakout noise.
The completed project formed part of an award-winning education development, with FKG Group receiving the Master Builders Association award for Education Facilities over $10 million in the Mackay and Whitsunday Region.
Project Details
The Challenge / Brief
Performing arts environments place particular demands on their acoustic design. Music, drama and amplified performances can generate significant sound levels, making it important to manage both how sound behaves within the room and how much noise travels into surrounding areas.
For the Mackay Northern Beaches State High School Performing Arts Centre, the brief called for a cost-effective ceiling solution capable of meeting demanding acoustic requirements alongside Group 2 fire performance.
With a tight project budget, these requirements needed to be achieved without introducing unnecessary layers, finishes or complexity into the ceiling construction.
Our Approach / The Solution
Durra Panel was installed as the acoustic roof and ceiling system across approximately 480m² of the Performing Arts Centre.
The system combined Durra 300 I-Beams with Durra Panel in Acoustic Pattern and cement sheet clad finishes, all finished in black to integrate with the architectural design of the performance space.
Rather than treating sound absorption and sound transmission as separate requirements, the Durra system addressed both within the ceiling construction. The Acoustic Pattern finish provided sound absorption within the room, while the overall ceiling system provided an Rw 50 rating to help control breakout noise.
The completed system achieved an NRC of 0.49 alongside Group 2 fire performance, providing the project with the acoustic and fire characteristics required within a single integrated ceiling solution.
Outcome / Results
The completed ceiling delivered the combination of acoustic performance, fire performance and cost efficiency required by the brief.
With an NRC of 0.49 and Rw 50, the system addresses both sides of the acoustic challenge: controlling reverberation within the Performing Arts Centre while reducing the transmission of sound beyond the space.
Approximately 480m² of Durra Panel was incorporated into the project, sequestering an estimated four tonnes of carbon within the building material.
The result is a durable, pre-finished ceiling system designed around the demanding acoustic requirements of a dedicated performing arts environment.
Designing a performing arts, education or multipurpose space with demanding acoustic requirements?
Talk to the Durra Panel team about integrating sound absorption, sound transmission control and fire performance within your wall and ceiling systems.
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to
date on the latest news and innovations.
