Projects

The Caruth Institute for Engineering Education is committed to developing the new American engineer, one prepared to excel and lead in creating new economic opportunities while addressing the most difficult challenges facing society. Caruth Hall was developed to support curricula and program development and includes a new auditorium, seven distance learning classrooms, four teaching labs, conference and board rooms, multi-purpose room, amphitheater, lobbies and offices. It also houses Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works® Lab and an innovation gymnasium.

Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a 300 acre campus in Austin, Texas with a 3.427-mile (5.515 km) motor racing circuit that hosts the most prestigious racing events in the world, including the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix(tm). It is the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the U.S. Built around a state-of-the-art 3.4-mile circuit track with capacity for 120,000 fans and an elevation change of 133 feet, the facility is designed for any and all classes of racing. Acoustic Dimensions provided design and coordination for the performance and communications technology for the track, grandstand, public spaces for private events, seminars and conventions, the live entertainment space, retail center and the new 40,000 sq. ft. Conference/Media Center.

Livestrong Sporting Park is the new home stadium for Major League Soccer's Sporting KC. The largest field in MLS, this soccer-specific stadium is considered one of the most technologically advanced soccer stadiums in the world with a capacity of 18,467 for soccer and 25,000 for concerts. The asymmetrical swirl-shaped roof provided an interesting challenge to integrating the tech systems. The stadium's systems were extensively modeled in 3D to test the design and almost every component was adjusted to support the esthetic look of the stadium. The HD video board was the largest in Major League Soccer at the time of opening and there are 36 suites and 5 clubs. The stadium has adopted the communal premium-dining concept prevalent in Europe. About 30 suite holders on two levels have the opportunity to eat and drink in a group space outside the skyboxes on the top floor. A year-round sports bar is designed as the place in Kansas City to watch soccer matches around the globe.

The New World Symphony's expanded 100,641 sq. ft. venue blurs the lines between performer and audience. The symphony plays in a room wrapped with a collage of suspended, overlapping projection screen panels that function to enhance orchestral performances with informational video content, provide video scenery, vocal text translations and digital-video compositions or projected "sets" for musical-theatre works. The entire facility is wired with Internet2, which is 100,000 times faster than the broadband in use today and is designed to facilitate broadcasts, Internet transmissions and long-distance learning techniques already utilized by the symphony. This connectivity via I2 allows a violinist to receive training from a master teacher half the globe away. An entire orchestra can receive feedback from a composer-while the composer remains in his studio. AD provided design services for all audio and video systems, which were closely coordinated with the inspirational architecture, theatrical lighting and rigging, stage machinery, and acoustics.

Established by Royal Decree, Royal Opera House Muscat is a beautiful venue dedicated to the diverse artistic and cultural expressions from the Sultanate, the region, and the world. The design for the Opera Hall was a collaboration between the in-house interior designers of the Royal Court of Oman and a UK-based design team-including Acoustic Dimensions and architects WATG. Although the building is called an opera house, it actually transforms into a classical concert hall and into a world-class organ recital hall. It reflects the model of the early European concert halls and opera houses. A reverberation chamber is included to support the acoustics for the pipe organ and adjustable acoustic elements are concealed behind elaborately carved screens to transform the acoustics for amplified sound. Opening performances include Placido Domingo and the Mariinsky Ballet with future seasons highlighting Omani art, as well as collaborations between leading Arab, Indian, Asian, African and Western artists.

Acoustic Dimensions is proud to have been part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's transformation of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The acoustic success in the space is in creating a natural energy for the unaided voice of the RSC performer. The proximity of the seating to the stage helped to maximize the direct sound, while the ventilation systems are designed to be silent (at the threshold of hearing) so that performers can make use of the full dynamic range of sound. However, there remained acoustic challenges. The technical gallery above stage ruled out a sound-reflective ceiling, and retaining the proscenium opening of the old theatre ruled out a sound-reflective upstage wall. Faced with these constraints, we used extensive computer modeling to make the best use of surfaces designing to reflect sound to the audience located behind the performer.

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is the new spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. The new baseball training facility, the first of its kind to be built on Indian land in the nation, has an 11,000-capacity ballpark, 12 practice baseball fields, office buildings that include Major and Minor League clubhouses, training facilities, offices for each team, three party decks, and a kid's whiffle ball field. Acoustic Dimensions provided technology design services throughout the complex, including the main stadium sound system, scoreboard + control room, ancillary scoreboards at the practice fields, batting cage sound system, clubhouse sound/paging system, Colorado Rockies clubhouse message board system, Video Coaching system + control room and all conference room, meeting room, classroom, dining area, theater, weight room, training room, multi-purpose room, etc. audio/visual requirements.

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street. The organization has a mission to use the educational power of media to help children worldwide reach their highest potential. New production facilities were part of multi-floor renovation in existing New York City facility. AD scope of work addressed special acoustic environments for small insert stage, audio and video control room and voice booth. Specific challenges included limited headroom and accommodating budget limitations. AD also advised on the acoustic environment within office interiors including conference rooms, enclosed offices and open work areas and employee amenity areas.

The Stroh Center at Bowling Green State University hosts their NCAA Division 1 Men's & Women's NCAA Basketball and Women's Volleyball programs, concerts, graduation and other events that celebrate connection. We collaborated with Rossetti on technology for the main arena, practice court, team store, the BGSU Hall of Fame, ticket office, athletic offices, conference and video rooms and sports medicine areas. The systems are designed to enhance the shared experience of the events: visually, aurally and functionally. The primary systems consist of an overhead distributed speaker design, a 20' x 11' 10mm Video Display, a 30' wide 10mm scorer's table LED display, a 50' wide 10mm writing press LED display, and a 30' wide 10mm ribbon board for the main arena.

The design of the 3,500-seat worship center was driven in large part by the success of the interim worship facility. While it was always intended that the interim space would be dismantled and equipment reused, there was significant reuse of design elements so that the new facility would function in the same manner but with the addition of 1,000 seats. The rake of the upper balcony is designed not only for sightlines to the stage but also to provide views to other worshippers in the auditorium. The catslides flanking the auditorium add to the sense of a connected experience. Great care was taken with the seating layout to ensure excellent sightlines. The auditorium also occupies a fairly tight footprint because of the layout. The seats are different colors to make the room scalable. When used for smaller events, the upper balconies feel occupied because of the color variance. It also made it easier to relocate the seats from the interim sanctuary to the permanent one. Five-hundred sheets of birch and OSB plywood were suspended from the ceiling for acoustics and aesthetics. They are topped with absorptive material to provide additional acoustic control. The stage area is designed to support full production with a green room and set shop on the first floor; the second floor contains a studio and audio/video production suite and the third floor provides storage and access to catwalks.