Mikoláše Alše Elementary School

Project: Elementary School Mikoláše Alše

Country/city: Czech republic / Prague

Installer: B&V Gips EU s.r.o.

Project size: 75 m²

Acoustic solution at an elementary school in Czech Republic, Prague

At Ecophon, we care about the environment in which children spend a significant amount of time each day. This is why we, in cooperation with the Czech Green Building Council, launched a project to evaluate several aspects of the learning environment – acoustics, lighting and ventilation – in an ordinary classroom. The project was also covered by Czech TV in a programme that attracted large viewing figures, which illustrates the interest in this topic.

When we visited the elementary school for the first time, the poor quality of the materials used was immediately apparent. The ceilings had no acoustic treatment, the windows were covered only by venetian blinds, the amount of furniture was rather modest and the walls were plastered, but sound-reflective. There was a carpet at the rear of the room, but the rest of the floor was covered with PVC. During our first talk, it was obvious that this school had a problem with noise, like many other schools in the Czech Republic. The effect of noise on students and teachers was also worrying the principal.

Acoustic performance before the treatment

The values for the reverberation time were measured in the selected physics classroom in May 2017. The maximum reverberation time at low frequencies was almost 2.5 seconds in the classroom and the overall values were above the limit set in the Czech regulations. (To put this in perspective, the optimal value should be around 0.7 of a second.)

Higher reverberation times affect perceived speech clarity, which is especially important in education. When the reverberation time increases, the perceived noise levels also increase. Based on the recent studies, both of these factors have a negative impact on students’ concentration, so they are unable to concentrate for the entire lecture time. The teachers are also forced to raise their voices in order to be heard, which takes additional effort.

Performance after the treatment

Gedina A, with a thickness of 15 mm and a sound absorption coefficient α_w = 0.95, was installed over the entire ceiling surface. The result was a better acoustic performance. 

The change has been noticed by both teachers and students:

• the total noise levels immediately decreased
• speech clarity was improved
• echoes were no longer present

The measurements afterwards were within the limit values of Czech standard ČSN 73 0527. The reverberation time has decreased to an average value of 0.6 of a second with a maximum at low frequencies of 1 second. 

If you are unsure whether your school complies with all the acoustic parameters and meets the local standards, don't hesitate to contact us at Ecophon.