This visually stunning and data rich text catalogs the design of 32 concert halls by world-renowned acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota and his team at Nagata Acoustics, the firm behind the celebrated Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, and numerous others. Alongside architectural drawings and photographs, commentary on the design process and challenges of each hall provides insight for the dedicated listener to appreciate a wide range of internationally beloved concert venues. Summarized acoustical and architectural data for each of the halls will provide valuable reference information to architects and acousticians alike. Following the project anthology is an overview of the history, development, and acoustical features of vineyard- and surround-style concert halls. A broader discussion of design philosophy reveals the methods by which Toyota has guided architects to create world renowned halls. These technical and general discussions give architects the foundation to design for the performing arts, and provide audiences a new insight and perspective to consider the next time they attend a concert.

The acoustic quality of a concert hall has frequently posed a mysterious puzzle, namely, what physical aspects of the sound field can produce superior sound for the listener. The author has been probing for more than adecade into the subjective qualities preferred for musical and speech sounds. The result of his extensive investigations - the discovery that four and only four independent parameters contribute effectively to good acoustics - is summarized in the present book. The capability of calculating acoustical quality at any seat in a proposed concert hall is a unique and quite useful aspect of Ando's design method. Alternative architectural schemes can be compared based on the number of seats which exceeds a previously accepted minimum standard of acoustical quality.

"This book is a compilation of Halls for Music Performance which were presented as posters at the 141st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Chicago, June 2001, and the 143rd Meeting held in Pittsburgh, June 2002"--P. xi.

This illustrated guide to 100 of the world's most important concert halls and opera houses examines their architecture and engineering and discusses their acoustical quality as judged by conductors and music critics. The descriptions and photographs will serve as a valuable guide for today's peripatetic performers and music lovers. With technical discussions relegated to appendices, the book can be read with pleasure by anyone interested in musical performance. The photographs (specially commissioned for this book) and architectural drawings (all to the same scale) together with modern acoustical data on each of the halls provide a rich and unmatched resource on the design of halls for presenting musical performances. Together with the technical appendices, the data and drawings will serve as an invaluable reference for architects and engineers involved in the design of spaces for the performance of music.

"The BIM Handbook is an extensively researched and meticulously written book, showing evidence of years of work rather than something that has been quickly put together in the course of a few months. It brings together most of the current information about BIM, its history, as well as its potential future in one convenient place, and can serve as a handy reference book on BIM for anyone who is involved in the design, construction, and operation of buildings and needs to know about the technologies that support it. The need for such a book is indisputable, and it is terrific that Chuck Eastman and his team were able to step up to the plate and make it happen. Thanks to their efforts, anyone in the AEC industry looking for a deeper understanding of BIM now knows exactly where to look for it." AECbytes book review, August 28, 2008 (www.aecbytes.com/review/2008/BIMHandbook.html) DISCOVER BIM: A BETTER WAY TO BUILD BETTER BUILDINGS Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers a novel approach to design, construction, and facility management in which a digital representation of the building process is used to facilitate the exchange and interoperability of information in digital format. BIM is beginning to change the way buildings look, the way they function, and the ways in which they are designed and built. The BIM Handbook, Second Edition provides an in-depth understanding of BIM technologies, the business and organizational issues associated with its implementation, and the profound advantages that effective use of BIM can provide to all members of a project team. Updates to this edition include: Completely updated material covering the current practice and technology in this fast-moving field Expanded coverage of lean construction and its use of BIM, with special focus on Integrated Project Delivery throughout the book New insight on the ways BIM facilitates sustainable building New information on interoperability schemas and collaboration tools Six new case studies Painting a colorful and thorough picture of the state of the art in building information modeling, the BIM Handbook, Second Edition guides readers to successful implementations, helping them to avoid needless frustration and costs and take full advantage of this paradigm-shifting approach to construct better buildings that consume fewer materials and require less time, labor, and capital resources.

Get the leading guide to acoustics for architects, engineers, and interior designers. A widely recognized, comprehensive reference to acoustic principles for all concerned with the built environment, Architectural Acoustics, Second Edition provides design professionals with up-to-date information on basic concepts, acoustical materials, and technologies for controlling wanted or unwanted sound within and around buildings. Written by a team of internationally recognized experts and experienced consultants, this Second Edition covers fundamental acoustic principles, design criteria, acoustical materials, control strategies, and methods for a wide variety of building types, including educational, healthcare, recreational, residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation facilities. Particular attention is given to places for listening and performance such as theaters, churches, concert and recital halls, outdoor arenas, classrooms, multiuse auditoria, libraries, music practice and rehearsal rooms, recording and broadcast studios, sports venues, home theaters, and other spaces that people meet to communicate and enjoy performance. Updated throughout, this edition features: New information on acoustical standards and guidelines for sustainable building design. Additional, richly detailed case studies demonstrating real-world applications, including the acclaimed Walt Disney Concert Hall and many other building types. Nearly 200 photos and illustrations that further elucidate specific principles, applications, and techniques. New developments in sound reinforcement and audio visual systems and their integration in room design. Progress in research and future directions in acoustical modeling. With fundamental conceptual understanding of basic acoustical principles provided by Architectural Acoustics, Second Edition, building designers can confidently create aesthetically and aurally pleasing spaces, while avoiding problems that could be very costly, if not impossible, to solve later.

First Published in 2005. The Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound, 2nd edition, is an A to Z reference work covering the entire history of recorded sound from Edison discs to CDs and MP3. Entries range from technical terms (Acoustics; Back Tracking; Quadraphonic) to recording genres (blues, opera, spoken word) to histories of industry leaders and record labels to famed recording artists (focusing on their impact on recorded sound). Entries range in length from 25-word definitions of terms to 5000 word essays. Drawing on a panel of experts, the general editor has pulled together a wealth of information. The volume concludes with a complete reference bibliography and a deep index.