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University Boasts Exemplary Practice Rooms "O UR NEW PRACTICE room area is transforming the school — we're very ex- cited," says Walt Meissner, dean ad interim of the College of Fine Arts (CFA) at Boston University in Boston, MA. Wenger installed 119 sound-isolating practice rooms in CFA's basement level in the spring of 2009, replacing built-in rooms that were decades old. "The previous practice rooms were ter- rible — they were not soundproof at all," recalls Caitlyn Perry, a graduate student in fl ute and music education. "We called it 'the dungeon' down there. The rooms were either too cold or too hot." Along with these shortcomings, Meiss- ner says the rooms weren't used very heav- ily because over half of them could barely accommodate more than one person. "A big part of our plan was creat- ing rooms with chamber music groups and other ensembles in mind," explains Meissner, noting that even the smallest of the new practice rooms is large enough to accommodate a trio or quartet. A number of the new practice rooms feature Virtual Acoustic Environments (VAE) technology, which simulates the acoustical characteristics of different spaces along with providing record/play- back capabilities. "We're fi nding the VAE rooms are even more valuable than we thought," com- ments Meissner. "Eventually our goal is to install a VAE system in every room." All the rooms are wired for VAE technology so it can be added later. In the competition to attract music stu- dents, Meissner believes adding these new practice rooms was a necessary step. Meissner says Wenger scored points for offering fl exibility with the rooms' ceiling height. He wanted each room to be as high Wenger installed 119 sound-isolating practice rooms in Boston University's College of Fine Arts' basement level, replacing built-in rooms that were decades old. The new practice rooms accommodate more students and feature VAE technology. as the basement space allowed, given the overhead pipes and other obstructions that made the installation challenging. Throughout the multiphase project, Meissner describes Wenger's attention to detail as "outstanding." He adds, "Every- thing went smoothly — I think Wenger hit a home run with us." www.wengercorp.com LEED Library Protected by Spray Foam Insulation O NE OF NORFOLK STATE University's largest new building projects, the 132,000-sq.-ft. Ly- man Beecher Brooks Library, promises to be a healthier and more comfortable place to study, learn and meet, thanks to help from InsulBloc spray foam insulation by NCFI Polyurethanes. The library was designed by Mose- ley Architects and built by S.B. Ballard Construction to LEED standards to reduce energy and water use, improve indoor air quality, and promote the wise use of materials. The design also called for in- creased wall and roof insulation to reduce energy costs. Frank Hughes, insulation special- ist with Applied Energy Saving Systems (AESS), the Mount Pleasant, SC-based fi rm selected to insulate the library, says more architects, like Moseley, are specifying spray foam insulation. "It's just plain 'duh.' Spray foam has an exceptional R-value (thermal resistance value), 100 percent adhesion, is monolithic so there are no seams, fi lls cracks and crevices, and leaves no air space when it cures; is an air barrier so no pollen, dust, or other airborne things get through; and it's closed-cell, meaning no water can get through it. Plus, on this job there is a beautiful gradual radius turn (curved walls), and only spray foam can accommodate that." Hughes says his company chose Insul- Bloc because, "it's applicator-friendly, works great on masonry cavity walls like this library, it's a clean product — NCFI's QC is unrivaled — and the technical sup- port they offer applicators and builders is the best I've seen in the industry." Mitch Clifton, manager with NCFI, says the library will host a circulating collection of 500,000 volumes, group study rooms, and an Internet café. "Frank and AESS sprayed 2.5 in. of InsulBloc on the exterior and that will certainly help lower their energy costs, improve indoor air quality, and provide a consistently comfortable environment for students and faculty." Other green features include: low- emissivity glazing; ample daylight to reduce dependence on electric lighting, carbon dioxide sensors to assist in provid- ing adequate ventilation, pervious pavers to decrease the quantity of storm runoff from the site, refl ective standing-seam metal roofi ng, and bathroom fi xtures that reduce water usage. CPM www.NCFI.com Look for more Case Histories online at www.webCPM.com NOVEMBER 2012 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 57