Project Type: Worship

Margaret of Scotland Church
Newark, DE

Parishioners at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Newark, Delaware, were experiencing significant issues with speech intelligibility in their sanctuary. Despite multiple attempts to address the problem, previous efforts fell short when they reached out to Metropolitan Acoustics for assistance. The sanctuary, an 11,115 square foot octagonal space with a gabled ceiling, was completed in 2007.

Metropolitan Acoustics was commissioned to assess various acoustical factors including reverberation time, background sound levels, and speech intelligibility across eight seating locations within the nave. In addition, we evaluated the existing sound reinforcement system to identify any deficiencies contributing to the problem.

Following a comprehensive analysis, we concluded that the primary cause of poor speech intelligibility was the room’s acoustics. To address this, we recommended specific interior acoustical treatments to enhance the sound quality and clarity in the sanctuary.