What is an acoustical consultant?
After Wallace Clement Sabine discovered the principles of modern architectural acoustics around 1900, he was sought for his advice on the design of new buildings and the solution of problems in existing buildings. Fifty years later, the challenge of acoustical design for a new United Nations headquarters brought the formation of a firm that became a model for the modern acoustical consulting firm. Today, approximately 1400 individual members of the Acoustical Society of America indicate a primary interest in architectural acoustics or noise. About half are regularly available as consultants. Many of those involved in noise control are also members of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering. Most qualified consultants work for one of the approximately 130 member firms of the National Council of Acoustical Consultants. Acoustical consultants come from diverse academic backgrounds. They use a combination of scientific theory, experimental data, experience, and judgment to analyze new p
