Project Type: Worship
Greenwich Reform Synagogue
Greenwich, CT
Architect: Mark B. Thompson Associates
Greenwich Reform had been a part of the Greenwich community for more than 40 years, and when the time came to relocate, they wanted a new building with a design and features that would suit it for many generations to come. The new location chosen for the Synagogue was across the street from a beautiful local park in a residential area which raised some concerns about the potential for noise from the building and its mechanical systems. There is a noise ordinance in the neighborhood with specific regulations that needed to be met.
Our scope of services on this project included many areas of our consulting expertise. We performed exterior noise control analysis and testing, mechanical and HVAC noise and vibration control, room acoustics, and A/V system design.
Our exterior noise control involved testing on site to measure existing sound levels throughout the day. We used the sound level data from the mechanical equipment manufacturers and predicted the anticipated sound levels at the property lines in closest proximity to the units. We used this information to design barriers and enclosures with sound absorptive materials in order to meet the requirements of the Greenwich Noise Ordinance.
On the interior of the building, we provided interior room acoustics design recommendations for the main Sanctuary, the Social Hall, the classrooms, and the offices. Each of these spaces had different spatial volumes and required different solutions in order to meet appropriate reverberation times, and we were able to provide specific material and design recommendations to meet the targeted reverberation time in each space. We also provided design guidelines and material recommendations for controlling noise and vibration from the mechanical systems which we monitored through site visits and documented in reports. In the Sanctuary and Social Hall, we designed sophisticated A/V presentation systems with digital signage and ceiling-mounted speakers, and similar presentation systems were also designed for the meeting room and multipurpose room.
The Synagogue opened in May 2017 and has been a vibrant center of learning, worship, and activity ever since. The design solutions and steps that were taken to ensure compliance to the local noise ordinance and to provide a comfortable interior environment were crucial to its early initial reviews and have positioned it for a long and successful future.