Cry rooms—soundproof and comfortable—are
indispensable for many churches. For parents who want to attend a service,
but must care for their infants, escaping to a cry room during a short
tantrum helps calm down the child and allows the rest of the sanctuary
to continue
a peaceful service. However, a sealed off room may not be right for
some congregations, as feelings of exile can surface when a parent steps
out
of the spiritual community of a sanctuary.
Art Noxon of Acoustic Sciences
Corp., who has consulted on many church cry spaces, has noticed this
problem.
“I have seen plenty of churches with cry rooms, and they are seldom used,” says
Noxon. “There are more options for families than a closed cry
chamber.”
Noxon has recognized three basic designs that cater to the needs
of parents with young children, while promoting a peaceful service
for the congregation.
All three designs handle the noise of children to some degree,
but they differ on how they approach the needs of the parents, the
children,
and
the church community as a whole.
Direct vs. Indirect Sound
The acoustic goal of these three designs is to block as much direct
sound as possible and muffle as much indirect sound as possible. Direct
sound is the sound that goes in a straight line from the sound source
to the listener’s ear. Direct sound is a complete signal, full
of all the original harmonics and overtones. When an infant cries out
in a public space, nearly everyone hears the direct sound, because little
stands in between the voice of the infant and the ears of the listener.
Indirect sound, on the other hand, is sound that does not follow a straight
path to your ear, and is instead reflected on surrounding surfaces.
Indirect noise is much more comfortable to listen to than direct noise.
“The acoustics of a cry space is all about moving the noise of the
children from the foreground (direct sound) to the background (muted,
indirect
sound) of everyone’s mind,” says Noxon. By blocking direct
sound, the ear will locate the sound out of the listener’s immediate
vicinity. Reducing the strength and clarity of indirect sound will
remove the conscious distraction.
All three cry space designs control acoustics and are effective at
reducing or eliminating the public distraction caused by the noise of
upset children. Building or remodeling a cry space that meets the needs
of everyone in the fellowship will ensure that it sees continued use.
The Daycare—This option is ideal for parents who wish to leave
their children under supervision, but also want their children to have
the option of hearing the worship through a sound system. Along the
sidewall of a sanctuary, a complete daycare facility can be built, with
windows installed at a low enough height for parents to keep an eye
on their children while also participating in the service. A daycare
facility along the side of the sanctuary allows parents and children
to share in the church services from separate sides of the sanctuary
wall.
Acoustic materials in this space are typically placed along the
walls and ceiling. The space should be about as soundproof as a shared
condominium
wall, and also present no visual distraction to the sanctuary.
The Traditional Cry Room—The traditional cry room is built for
parents to supervise and be with their infants. It is acoustically more
intimate, fully carpeted and has abundant sound absorption. It has smaller
dimensions, and is typically located at the back of a sanctuary. The
desired effect here is for comfort and serenity, creating a warm feeling
for infants and toddlers to help ease the stress of both parent and
child.
There are some drawbacks to this design. When a child becomes
restless or upset during any part of a service, there is a certain
level
of embarrassment felt by the parents, and this emotion continues
as the parents take
the child into a traditional cry room. While total isolation
may remove the distraction from the sanctuary, feelings of exile
and banishment
make this design unattractive.
“I have seen numerous cry rooms remain empty while parents either
remain seated or try to remove their child completely from the room,” says
Noxon. “It is astounding to see cry rooms empty while parents
stay seated, with children who squirm until they are taken out of
the building. ”
The traditional cry room is a technically correct solution; the soundproofing
and acoustic characteristics perform extremely well, and is easier and
less expensive to adapt and staff compared to a larger daycare facility.
But because of the isolation associated with this space of the space,
the church may see this style used less often or for shorter durations.
The Walk-in Cry Room— This open
cry space redefines the social context for a cry room. The design has
all of the same basic components as the closed cry space,
except there is no door. The walk-in cry room shares the same air as
the rest of the sanctuary. Not unlike many public restrooms, the layout
of
the entryway requires a few turns to enter the space, which breaks
up the direct sound path. The walls of the entry are treated with the
same
acoustics as the rest of the cry room, and much of the indirect sound
becomes attenuated and muffled. A loud infant will still be heard in
the sanctuary, but only as a distant, muted presence that is not distracting
to most people.
Not only does this design connect the two areas acoustically, but
also more importantly, it joins the two areas emotionally.
“A walk-in cry room takes away that discomfort and emotional separation
of the traditional cry room,” says Noxon. “Probably the best
thing the church building committee can do with a deserted cry room
is remodel it into an open, walk-in cry room.”
The Basics
The basic ingredients of a soundproofing project include four different
areas says Noxon. “If you leave one out it is no longer a soundproofing
project. Here are the four components of a soundproofed room:
Sound lock— To enter a soundproof room, a sound lock is employed,
where people pass first through one door into the sound lock, and then
through a second door into the cry room. All soundproof spaces have some
form of sound isolation that does not change when someone enters or exits
the room.
Soundproof walls/windows/ceilings—All wall surfaces should employ
some method of soundproofing. Generally, the inside wall, ceiling, windows
and door surfaces are not rigidly connected to the outside wall. In a
soundproofed room, noise hitting the inside surface materials is not conducted
to the exterior surface materials.
Interior acoustics—Once the sound is contained in a room, it builds
up due to reverberation. The interior walls and ceiling surfaces need
sound absorbent products to minimize the buildup of reverberations. Without
interior acoustics, the soundproofing benefits are lost.
Sound baffles—Sound travels freely through air ducts, electrical
outlets, and suspended ceilings, so baffles and other mechanisms should
be used to keep sound from exiting the room.
There are other common elements that need to be considered. All of the
windows should be laminated safety windows, and the more rectangular the
window dimensions, the better—tall and narrow or short and wide.
Double-paned thermal windows have very poor acoustic properties, so they
should be avoided for acoustic spaces. Tinted, one-way, or privacy windows
are recommended for all three designs, to minimize visual distractions,
and ensure privacy for nursing mothers, etc. For the sound lock doors,
sweep seals should be used on all four edges of the doors to keep a good
sound seal that is also easy to open with a child in hand, and all child
care rooms should have an alternate exit to the foyer or outside.
The soundproofing materials for the walls and ceiling should be capable
of blocking the vibrations caused from the cries of children. A wall system
that both isolates and dampens is typically the most effective.
“Isolation and dampening is like a car suspension with springs and
shock absorbers,” says Noxon. “Both are needed for a comfortable
ride.” Noxon adds that Acoustic Sciences Corp. does provide soundproofing
and acoustic packages for cry spaces. The Iso-Wall Soundproofing System
includes resilient channels for isolation, and patented viscoelastic
materials to dampen room noise.
“Rooms work best when the interior acoustics are voiced specifically
to the type of use the room will see,” says Noxon. Consultation
may be needed to determine the best placement of acoustic materials.
Noxon has voiced all parts of a church, and has an understanding of how
a cry
room needs to be acoustically voiced.
“Acoustic absorption, like our ASC Sound Planks, are placed differently
in cry rooms, optimized for the frequency range of children.” Although
the placement of the acoustic products may be the most involved part
your soundproofing, installation of these products is as easy as hanging
a
picture frame.
It is important for the building committees and concerned congregation
members to understand the subtle but critical differences between these
three styles of childcare spaces. The congregation will be pleased to
see and hear a solution built that best reflects the personality, style,
and social values of the church. The right type of cry room or daycare
space will ensure that every member of the church, from infant to elderly,
is supported and better able to connect to the service.
Tim Bott is the press relations comisar at Acoustic Sciences Corp.,
and has just recently stepped into the acoustics industry, after being
involved in music for more than 15 years. He can be reached at 800.ASC.8823,
tim.b@acousticsciences.com or through www.church-acoustics.com.
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