The proposed auditorium responds to the growing need for university facilities that do more than provide space for large gatherings. Modern educational buildings are increasingly expected to support healthy, comfortable, and sustainable environments. An auditorium may host seminars, conferences, lectures, graduation ceremonies, artistic performances, concerts, exhibitions, and student activities, meaning its design must accommodate different users and functions.
For the research team, acoustic quality is one of the most important challenges. Excessive sound reflection can produce echoes and reduce speech clarity, while excessive sound absorption can make a room sound flat. The challenge becomes greater when one auditorium is expected to accommodate both meetings and performances.
The design also takes advantage of Berastagi’s environmental conditions. As a highland area, the location offers opportunities to optimize natural lighting, natural ventilation, energy efficiency, and vegetation as a means of improving the building’s microclimate.
Combining Acoustic Design with Green Architecture
Tambun, Dasrizal, and Sinuhaji used a qualitative descriptive approach during the design process. They gathered primary and secondary data, reviewed relevant literature and precedent buildings, analyzed the site, and assessed spatial requirements. These findings were then synthesized into a multifunctional auditorium concept for Universitas Quality Berastagi.
The design applies Green Architecture, focusing on energy efficiency, user comfort, environmentally friendly materials, rainwater management, and efficient use of natural resources.
The proposed building has a compact mass to reduce exposure to solar heat. A secondary skin is incorporated as a façade protection system, while the roof is designed to support rainwater harvesting and solar-panel installation. Natural lighting, LED lighting, automatic lighting controls, cross ventilation, building openings, and vegetation are also incorporated into the energy-efficiency strategy.
Auditorium Shape Selected to Improve Sound Distribution
One of the key design decisions involves the shape of the auditorium. The researchers selected a square-shaped configuration, which they considered suitable for distributing sound waves evenly while providing good viewing angles for audiences.
The design does not focus only on the stage and seating arrangement. Each major interior element is considered as part of the acoustic system.
The stage floor is designed at approximately 80–90 centimeters high and may use materials such as carpet or parquet to reduce noise from activities on the stage. The stage walls combine sound-absorbing and sound-reflecting materials to prevent unwanted reflections while distributing sound toward the audience.
The audience area uses stepped flooring to improve visibility, while double walls and textured surfaces are incorporated to improve acoustic performance and reduce outside noise. A profiled ceiling is also designed to reflect sound and distribute it more evenly throughout the audience area.
Reverberation Time Targeted at 1.2–1.8 Seconds
Reverberation Time (RT) is another major consideration in the auditorium design. It refers to how long sound continues to remain audible in a room after the original sound source stops.
The proposed design targets a reverberation time of 1.2–1.8 seconds to support seminars, conferences, and performances. The researchers propose controlling reverberation through acoustic panels and ceilings, carpets, fabric-covered seats, diffusers, acoustic curtains, and room geometry designed to reduce unwanted sound reflections.
Sound-absorbing materials are also important. Porous materials such as fiberboard, mineral wool, and soft plaster, together with wooden panels, gypsum boards, suspended ceilings, and carpets, can help control sound reflections and improve sound clarity inside the auditorium.
A Multifunctional Facility for University Activities
The proposed auditorium is intended to accommodate more than conventional academic gatherings. It is designed for academic, artistic, and sociocultural activities, including seminars, public lectures, performances, conferences, exhibitions, and student programs.
The building is divided into functional zones. Public areas include the lobby and waiting areas. Semipublic areas accommodate seminar and meeting rooms, VIP spaces, and event preparation areas. Private zones include administrative, management, control, and security rooms, while service zones contain storage, mechanical-electrical facilities, loading areas, and utilities.
Circulation is also separated for visitors, management staff, and service activities to make movement through the building more efficient.
This approach positions the auditorium not simply as a large gathering space, but as an integrated university facility combining functionality, acoustic performance, energy efficiency, user comfort, and environmental sustainability.
Potential Contribution to Sustainable Campus Development
The design demonstrates how Green Architecture can be integrated with the acoustic requirements of a multifunctional auditorium. Natural lighting and ventilation could reduce dependence on artificial energy systems, while environmentally friendly materials and landscape management can contribute to a more sustainable campus environment.
For universities, this type of design may provide a reference for developing long-term educational facilities without compromising user comfort. For educational architecture, the study also highlights the importance of considering local climate conditions from the early stages of building design.
The authors conclude that combining Green Architecture principles with acoustic control can produce an auditorium that is comfortable, energy-efficient, and environmentally responsive. They recommend further research involving more detailed acoustic simulations, development of environmentally friendly materials with strong acoustic performance, and adaptive acoustic systems capable of supporting different types of activities.
Author Profiles
Sandros Timoti Tambun: Universitas Quality Berastagi. Tambun is listed as the corresponding author of the article.
Dasrizal: Universitas Quality Berastagi. Dasrizal is a co-author involved in the auditorium design study.
Ferdinand Sinuhaji: Universitas Quality Berastagi. Sinuhaji is a member of the research team developing the multifunctional auditorium concept.
The source article does not provide the authors’ academic degrees or specific areas of expertise, so those details are not added beyond the available source information.
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