Project Type: Worship

Beth Am Israel
Bala Cynwyd, PA
Architect: Voith & MacTavish Architects

Beth Am Israel is a synagogue with a congregation of approximately 375 families located in the western suburbs of Philadelphia. Metropolitan Acoustics provided acoustical consulting services for the Sanctuary and Chapel in the new facility constructed in 2002.

We analyzed the interior room acoustics for the Sanctuary and Chapel and provided recommendations for appropriate reverberation times and projection of sound to the seating. The Sanctuary is a two-story space with seating on both levels. The services are designed for significant congregation participation and it was important that the space be suitable for both congregational singing and speech intelligibility. We recommended acoustic panels on the walls and exposed wooden deck to help control reverberation and hard flooring under the seating areas to provide early reflections and enhance congregational singing.

Additionally, we performed a mechanical system noise analysis for the Sanctuary, Chapel and Social Hall. We recommended duct silencers for the Sanctuary and Chapel and acoustic panels in the Social Hall. We also provided vibration isolation recommendations for each piece of mechanical equipment.

In addition to our acoustical and mechanical analyses, we designed speech and music reinforcement system for the Sanctuary, Classrooms and Social Hall. Our design included bid-ready A/V drawings and specifications, we were involved in construction administration and performed a final checkout of the systems.