Mott Memorial Building Auditorium

An evolving curriculum at Mott Community College necessitated that the 240-seat Mott Memorial Building Auditorium be transformed.

The auditorium was adapted to serve as a hands-on classroom for audio, sound reinforcement, recording and lighting in addition to its existing role as a venue for small ensemble performances, such as 35-piece band performances, 20 member choirs and pop music bands. Along with the updates to the sound reinforcement system to accommodate the room’s new role, the college decided to treat the acoustical problems that had been plaguing the room. In particular, an echo reflected from the rear part of the auditorium was disturbing the performers and audience alike.

The college asked Soundscape Engineering to provide design options that allow the acoustic and the amplified uses to coexist. The Dean of Fine Arts has explicitly expressed a concern that the room modifications should not hinder their performances. Soundscape Engineering measured the performance of the existing space, including identification of the surfaces that were contributing to the echo through impulse response measurements. We provided recommendations for variable acoustics to maximize the flexibility of the space along with options to reduce the adverse reflections from the rear surfaces in the auditorium.