Green Tips for Air Conditioning

ASHRAE Building-Type GreenTip #1:
Performing Arts Spaces
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Performing arts spaces include dance studios, black box theaters, recital halls,
rehearsal halls, practice rooms, performance halls with stage and fixed seating,
control rooms, back-house spaces, and support areas.
HIGH-PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES
Acoustics
1. Clearly understand different criteria for noise criteria levels to be achieved in
different type of spaces.
2. Consider 2 and 4 in. liners for large ducts serving spaces with noise criteria
levels of 25 and lower.
3. Locate equipment as far away from low noise criteria spaces as practical.
4. Work closely with the acoustic consultant, structural engineer, architect, and
construction manager to integrate strategies that eliminate the distribution of vibration
and equipment noise from the HVAC systems to the performance spaces.
5. Design duct distribution to eliminate noise transfer between acoustically sensitive
spaces. This can be done by using duct liner, additional elbows to isolate
sound travel, sound attenuators, etc.
6. Do not route piping systems through or above spaces that are acoustically sensitive.