Sound Reduction Art's first showcase at Suspension Espresso Cafe in July 2017
Well this month has been busy and exciting with the launch of my long term vision: Sound Reduction Art. Three beautiful wall pieces are currently working hard at reducing the background noise in one of the busiest, noisiest (but very cherished) cafes in trendy Hamilton of Newcastle NSW, Australia.
I have my favourite cafes and I love my coffee and my conversations, but some cafes are just unbearably noisy... don't you just want to run away? Its a shame because everything else is usually spot on - from the coffee to the staff and the inviting interior design. I often sit in these place looking around wondering what is the specific reason for this? I have done some research into sound vibration and absorbtion and I have come to the conclusion it is a combination of a few things.
Materials - Areas with high content of non-vibrational surfaces (lots of tiles, polished floors, cement, glass) act just like 'sound mirrors' casing sound to keep bouncing around endlessly.
Shape of space - A simple, square shaped room with a flat ceiling and flat walls with no returns or alcoves, extra rooms is another offender.
Positioning of noisy areas - open kitchens and coffee preparation zones directing noise outward are an obvious culprit. And we like to see our coffee being made... so what can we do about this?
Just one Sound Reduction Art piece in the cafe chosen for testing takes up less than 2% of wall space but has reduced the noise by up to 14%. Just one!
The material used in the work is industrial standard, durable and absorbs 48% of all sound to reach it's surface. It is structurally sound and can be directly screwed into a wall which means an entire wall can be used as a sound reduction device.
If you are about town, do get in to see and feel the sound reduction at Suspension Espresso. 3 Beaumont Street Hamilton.
And if you know a cafe or cafe owner that would be interested in the concept please pass this on to them before the month of July is over.
