Project Overview

A busy cafeteria in Kuala Lumpur engaged Acoustics Asia Builders to resolve severe echo and noise discomfort during peak hours. The space—designed with hard flooring, glass panels, and a high plaster ceiling—amplified every sound: conversations, cutlery, footsteps, and background chatter.

Before treatment, the cafeteria was uncomfortable, overly noisy, and stressful, especially during lunch breaks when dozens of people filled the space. Patrons often struggled to hear one another, and staff found the environment fatiguing.

Our goal was to create a calmer, more pleasant dining atmosphere through a wellness-focused acoustic design using non-toxic, safe materials.

Client’s Challenges

1. Excessive Echo and Noise Amplification

Before the acoustic treatment:

• Conversations bounced around the room
• Plates, chairs, and footsteps produced harsh reflections
• The overall noise built up quickly
• Diners could barely hear each other during peak periods

2. Hard, Reflective Surfaces

The cafeteria had:

• Tiled flooring
• Large glass windows
• A smooth plaster ceiling
• Minimal soft furnishings

This created a highly reflective sound environment, unsuitable for social dining.

3. Comfort & Wellness Objective

The client wanted:

• A calmer dining atmosphere
• Improved clarity for conversations
• Reduced noise fatigue
• A safer, non-toxic, maintenance-friendly material

Our Acoustic Assessment

Using RT60 measurements at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz—the critical range for human speech—we found:

Frequency	Before RT60	Ideal Target	Improvement Goal
500 Hz	2.01 sec	~1.1 sec	~45% reduction
1000 Hz	1.84 sec	~1.0 sec	~46% reduction
2000 Hz	1.74 sec	~0.9 sec	~48% reduction

Key Findings

• The cafeteria was almost double the ideal reverberation time
• Speech intelligibility was very poor
• Noise levels became increasingly uncomfortable when crowded
• Ceiling reflections were the primary cause of echo buildup

Occupancy Impact

We measured both empty and occupied conditions.
Echo remained present even when filled with people — confirming that ceiling treatment was essential to achieve noticeable improvement.

Our Acoustic Solution

1. Ceiling-Mounted Acoustic Panels

We installed non-toxic, polyester-based ceiling panels designed specifically for:

• absorbing speech frequencies
• reducing mid-high frequency reflections
• improving conversation clarity
• lowering overall noise buildup

The panels blended naturally with the cafeteria’s ceiling, maintaining a clean, modern aesthetic.

2. Strategic Coverage Pattern

We placed panels across:

• high-impact reflective zones
• central dining areas
• ceiling paths directly above tables
• areas where sound tended to bounce repeatedly

The coverage was designed to achieve maximum absorption without visual clutter.

Results & Acoustic Improvement

Measured Improvements

After treatment, reverberation time was significantly reduced across all key speech frequencies:

Frequency	Before RT60	After RT60	Reduction
500 Hz	2.01 sec	~1.1 sec	≈45%
1000 Hz	1.84 sec	~1.0 sec	≈46%
2000 Hz	1.74 sec	~0.9 sec	≈48%

What This Means in Real Life

• Conversations became clear and comfortable
• Echo was immediately reduced
• Lunch-hour loudness dropped noticeably
• Staff reported less fatigue
• The dining environment felt calmer and more welcoming

Client’s Reaction

“Before treatment, we had to raise our voices across the table.
Now you can actually have a proper conversation.
The difference is immediate.”

Before & After Experience

• Extremely echo-heavy
• Loud and chaotic during peak hours
• Conversations unclear even at close range

• Balanced, comfortable sound
• Clearer speech
• Much lower noise build-up
• More enjoyable dining experience

Why This Solution Worked

• Ceiling surfaces are the largest sound reflectors in cafeterias
• Treating the ceiling addresses the main source of echo
• Polyester acoustic panels absorb exactly the frequencies needed for human speech
• Panel coverage was optimised for a full room, not just empty space

The result:
A cleaner, calmer, wellness-focused dining environment.

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