Treasures of Soundzipper: Acoustic Consultant Julian

Colombia to the little red dot armed with a single purpose to make your space sound perfect. Watch as he brings more than 7 years of audio engineering and a new found love of acoustics into the world of architecture!

Acoustic Consultant Julian, 35, believes that holistic design begins with a concept of a tangible living space. It is characterised by room geometry, materials, functionality and the sonic character of a room that becomes another property. Therefore, this enhances one of our most important senses; hearing.

Q: What is your Philosophy as an Acoustic Consultant

A: I believe acoustics plays an integral role in the design of architectural spaces. These elements enhance the design and functionality of a space by adding a new intangible dimension. Furthermore, sustainable acoustics provides an added comfort and well-being of the inhabitants and users of the spaces.

Q: When did you decide on Acoustics?

A: I was working as a Sound Engineer in London, and I noticed the different studios I attended that there was a lack of understanding of room acoustics. I know of some fantastic studios that were sub-parred by their acoustics and thought this was something I can do some research about. Meanwhile, I began reading and learning becoming more interested in the field, to the point that I decided to be a full-time acoustic consultant.

Q: What are your Qualifications in Acoustics?

A: I have a Masters in Engineering Acoustics, from the Technical University of Denmark. I am very privileged to be working in Audio Industry for the previous 7 years. This is one of the research papers that I did during my thesis year.

Q: Why makes you an Expert in this Field?

A: I don’t know if you can ever become an expert in a field such as acoustics. It is constantly being updated with new research, ideas and experimentation. I always give my full attention to the project at hand and trying out different approaches for coming up with a solution.

Q: What Projects excite you and what Type of Projects would you like to Accomplish?

A: In addition to working in designs for music studios, movie rooms and home theatres.  The idea of auditoriums can really be fascinating. Currently, we are working on a very interesting movie room design, with a very complex geometrical design!

Picture this! It is sort of a wooden cave within a room that has concealed speakers in the wall (they are actually part of the walls, invisible so to say). Due to its unique shape, the materials we are coming up with feature very interesting designs to optimise the acoustics.

This is particularly so especially on the low end of the frequency spectrum. We have done a fair amount of simulation and analysis to treat reflections and to deliver an adequate reverberation time for the room. It has been a lot of fun.

Q: What makes you the Go-To Acoustic Consultant?

A: I think I cannot speak for myself on this question. We are a team of 5 consultants, and each of us contributes significantly to any project, we usually bounce off ideas from each other and come up with the best possible solution for a problem. In relation, we always strive for our clients to be happy with the end result.

Q: What is your Main Support and Understanding of this Industry in Singapore and Worldwide?

A: Acoustics is slowly becoming a main concern for the construction industry in Singapore. There are still some misconceptions about what building acoustics and architectural acoustics really is, and this is sometimes reflected on project specifications for tender when they require Acoustic consultancy. It is clear that sometimes the parties involved in drafting the specs do not understand what is required for the different types of construction.

Different countries have now acoustic regulations for different types of industries (Industry, health, education) and agencies that ensure that these minimum criteria are met in new constructions. This is a starting point in caring for the well-being and comfort of the building occupants. I believe Singapore should start looking in the same direction.

Q: Biggest achievement of Soundzipper

A: Putting together a team of sound enthusiasts to work on making our projects sound the best they can! I believe we are a team of talented and passionate people that truly care about sound. All of us come from different backgrounds (architects, engineers, sound engineers, musicians) but found a common ground in acoustics.

Q: Finally, what do you want to achieve in the upcoming years and why?

I like to participate in more cutting edge projects where sound plays an integral part of the design. These are projects challenge you and make you grow as an acoustician. Although I believe we cater for a specific market (music architecture acoustics), we can reach a world class stage of acoustic consultancy.

Exclusive Bonus

If you are a fan of Bjork, I was the assistant sound engineer for Biophilia Live in 2014. Check this out