The Technical Committee on Architectural Acoustics (TCAA) was among the first of the committees established by the Society in 1960. TCAA serves as the focus for interested ASA members and guests at its biannual meetings to plan future technical sessions, to coordinate and support activities such as the Classroom Acoustics Task Group, the Concert Hall Research Group, ASA poster book publications, the V.O. Knudsen Distinguished Lecture, and other initiatives in architectural acoustics. The current ASA directory lists the scope of TCAA as follows:
- Room Acoustics
- Airborne and Impact transmission in building structures
- Airborne and structure borne noise control
- Noise control of building systems
- Electro acoustics systems
- Psychophysics and psycho acoustics.
The 20th century concluded with an enormous increase in knowledge in all of the above areas. Now, through the widespread areas of affordable computer-aided acoustical measurement, analysis, and design techniques, the acoustical environments of practically any architectural space can be rapidly evaluated in advance of construction. Very soon, the technology to actually “auralize” a space will be commonplace as well, so that architectural acousticians and architects alike will be able to virtually “see and hear” building spaces beforehand. The Technical Committee on Architectural Acoustics will remain the focus of activity in architectural acoustics both in encouraging research and in promoting its practical applications. The 21st century promises to be an exciting one for architectural acoustics…. Stay tuned!
-William Cavanaugh