Acoustic Canopy is a tensile structure designed to reduce the noise level in the studio space by absorbing the deafening sounds created by power tools.

High volume levels in the shop are dangerous. To solve this problem, this project reduces the possibility of getting hurt by reducing the level of distracting noise in the space. In the studio, people often use a wide range of machines such as power drills, the bandsaw, and the laser cutter. Combined, this equipment causes the communication in the lab to become more difficult and thus, lead to potential injury. Acoustic Canopy is designed to absorb sound and reduce the noise level, making it easier for people to communicate in the lab.

The initial designs differ significantly from the latest canopy designs. The first idea was to create a tensile structure that is placed on the ground, surrounding the machines that produce loud sounds. However, as prototyping for initial design began, there were concerns that placing a large tensile wall in the work area could cause another problem. Since there were many people moving around the lab, it was not very efficient to put a large object in the middle of the path. This issue led to another design which proposed placing the tensile structure above the workspace.

This new design covers up the entire ceiling in the room, therefore decreasing the overall noise level. However, there were few challenges while designing this structure. Firstly, it was difficult to get an accurate measurement of the ceiling trusses. This problem made creating the digital model more difficult than expected. Although the measurements is were one of the main challenges, the largest problem was testing different sound-absorbing fabrics. The first material testing didn’t go as planned since there were many factors that were not considered prior to the testing, including noise from the surrounding environment and the overall setup of the experiment. These issues led to inaccuracy in our data. Several days later, a new experiment was conducted in the controlled environment of a practice room, where there was almost no noise from the outside. The sound source that emitted a specific frequency was placed in a bucket, which would then be covered with different types of fabrics to test the difference in decibels. This new experiment revealed that the material most suitable for blocking sounds in the Acoustic Canopy is upholstery.