Historic Detroit Fire Department headquarters to become 100-room boutique hotel and restaurant. 

Acoustics is an important design issue when buildings are re-purposed. Balancing the goal to showcase the historic aesthetic with the need for sound isolation and contemporary expectations for acoustical environments can be challenging. Hotels are particularly challenging with noisy restaurants and ballrooms adjacent to guest rooms, not to mention that pesky TV in the next room.

Our team provided the sound isolation design for these spaces plus a small meeting room that will double as a podcast studio. Sound and vibration isolation of the polished concrete floors also demanded attention. The restaurant and lounge are located in the large apparatus room, and with this being open to the lobby, controlling reverberation and background sound level is critical. We were able to incorporate acoustical treatments compatible with the design and in keeping with the historical aesthetics of the building.

Architect: McIntosh Poris

Designer: Simeone Deary

Owner, co-developer and manager: Aparium