Maria Cairoli | Politecnico di Milano (original) (raw)

Papers by Maria Cairoli

Applied Acoustics, Nov 1, 2020

This work describes the sound field transformation in catholic churches up today, focusing on a n... more This work describes the sound field transformation in catholic churches up today, focusing on a new possible acoustic trend in modern buildings. In the past, the sacred sense inside a church was greatly reinforced by the surrounding atmosphere of a very reverberant space, with possible echoes, that infatuated the perception of God and his presence. On the contrary, nowadays, concentration and intimacy are preferred. Modern Church buildings have become acoustically complex places. They are complex from the geometric point of view, because their dimensions and shapes may be extremely varied, passing from simple auditorium-like churches to complicated ones characterized by curved walls, side chapels, vaults which often act as partially coupled volumes. The range of the possible sound messages is also extremely varied passing from the spoken word to congregational singing and sometimes to organ music during the same liturgical service. In this paper some main recommendations to follow in the acoustic design of new catholic churches are presented, explaining two case studies in detail: the Santa Gianna Beretta Molla Church in Trezzano, Milan (IT) and the Massimiliano Kolbe Church in Bergamo (IT). Room Acoustics procedures and implementations of computer simulation techniques are included. A new approach for the acoustic design is proposed in which the acoustic response is suitable for both speech and music as recent room acoustics' studies for other typologies of building such as theatres and multipurpose auditoria suggest.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Dec 7, 2020

The new multipurpose space is located inside a concrete parallelepiped building. The internal per... more The new multipurpose space is located inside a concrete parallelepiped building. The internal perimeter partition walls create shapes and geometries typical of Etruscan tombs. They consist of a circular structure in plan built in squared blocks, surmounted by a pseudo-dome in slabs arranged in concentric circles with decreasing diameters to form a domed envelope. In this paper the acoustic phenomena depending on the concave surfaces that characterize this space are presented, mainly focusing and whispering. Acoustic architectural elements are used to inhibit them against the architectural image and controlling the other main acoustics parameters such as the Reverberation Time. The suggested construction solutions mainly refer to the chosen materials to realize the tumuli envelope.

Applied Acoustics, Aug 1, 2023

Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols, 2020

Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, May 1, 2013

The acoustic design of the New Opera House in Astana (Kazakhstan) currently under construction wa... more The acoustic design of the New Opera House in Astana (Kazakhstan) currently under construction was carried out by Biobyte in Milan, Italy (Enrico Moretti and Maria Cairoli) assisted by Gade & Mortensen Akustik, Denmark (Anders Gade). In order to predict the acoustic consequences of the room geometry and decide on details in the design such as diffusion treatment of curved surfaces, it was decided to build a 1:20 scale model, in which several room acoustical parameters were measured. However, the scale model also provided an opportunity to compare the performance of scale model testing and room acoustic predictions by two computer simulation programs, which were also used for predictions in the design process. Therefore, besides information about the adequacy of the diffusion treatment to avoid focusing from concave surfaces (an aspect which is not well described by computer simulation) we obtained data on measurement accuracy—or rather deviations—between the results from the scale model (DIRAC) and the two different room acoustic prediction programs (CATT and ODEON). These results will be presented and discussed in the paper.

Applied Acoustics, Nov 1, 2018

The use of auditoria for more than one purpose is far from new but the conscious design to accomm... more The use of auditoria for more than one purpose is far from new but the conscious design to accommodate more than one acoustic type of performance is relatively recent. It has become increasingly apparent that for economic reasons auditoria dedicated to just one single use are often unrealistic for big companies and also in large cities where a degree of flexibility in use is now becoming the norm from speech or music to theatre, performances and fashion shows. The possibility to find architectural solutions to control a variable acoustics within a big range is the main interest in this discussion. Construction details are developed and their possible combinations of different customized elements is reported, related to a specific case study: the Calzedonia Auditorium, a shoebox of 10.200 m 3. In literature there are general traditional guidelines to apply for large multipurpose rooms. Because in this space the seats are totally removable and there are design features unique for it, some of these guidelines are accepted and some are changed in relation with the requests of the client and considering also the possibility of a new approach suitable for both speech and music in some special layouts and configurations. Predicting situations are explained to create a methodological approach, according to the contemporary multipurpose requests. Numerous configurations, more than 12, with different combinations of the movable architectural element positions have been recorded in the software depending on the number of seats in the room and activities to be deployed. Measures confirm the acoustic design, the client satisfaction the integrated Architecture.

Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols, 2020

Applied Acoustics, Feb 1, 2021

Large spaces, circular in plan, can be preferred by architects to design large auditoria, even th... more Large spaces, circular in plan, can be preferred by architects to design large auditoria, even though they can cause acoustical singularities such as focusing and whispering gallery. In large auditoria for multipurpose functions are becoming a common request to use the space for different activities such as conferences, concerts of classical and amplified music, shows, etc. and the necessity to find architectural solutions in order to consider the variable acoustic demands according to different possible layouts, are growing. In this paper, as a case study, architectural acoustic design approaches and solutions for a circular auditorium are presented. The case study was made in “Le Serre” hall for 1000 people, in the Villa Erba Convention Center, located in Cernobbio (Italy), in which different combinations of movable architectural elements are developed to create a multipurpose space. A geometrical acoustic analyses are included, followed by the description of different methods to avoid focusing and whispering. Room acoustics procedures and implementations of computer simulation techniques are developed.

Energy Reports, Nov 1, 2021

Abstract Building information modelling (BIM) is trying to overcome the issue of interoperability... more Abstract Building information modelling (BIM) is trying to overcome the issue of interoperability by promoting the collaboration between different professions, which enables Building Performance Assessments (BPA) to take place earlier in the design process. Nevertheless, the interoperability is rarely perfect and information is lost during translation from BIM authoring tool to simulation software or the interoperability is limited to the translation of the geometry. The discrepancies in data translations from BIM authoring tool to specific Calculation Virtual Environments (CVE) for energy and acoustic evaluation are considered. For the energy performance evaluation two software tools are tested in the present research paper, namely the Design Builder and IES VE , using IFC and gbXML as data exchange formats. Furthermore, a solution is proposed for overcoming the interoperability issue about acoustic evaluation by adapting programming language in Dynamo Graphical Interface for calculation of acoustic parameters, namely the Reverberation time and Schroeder’s frequency, which allow room quality evaluation to take place earlier in the design process as they are crucial for educational and other facility usage buildings.

Applied Acoustics, Dec 1, 2020

Ancient architectural shapes as domes and other curved surfaces are widely admired by architects ... more Ancient architectural shapes as domes and other curved surfaces are widely admired by architects even if they may present serious acoustical hazards. In large interiors formed by curved surfaces, acoustical singularities such as the ''sliding" of sound along a concave wall or a concentration of sound in a distant location of the room may happen. These phenomena can be mostly found in historical spaces where these effects were usually detected accidentally creating an atmosphere of mystery. Nowadays, in contemporary auditoriums they are mostly considered an acoustic flaw and they must be corrected or eliminated. A practice in avoiding these miraculous acoustical properties, the focusing and whispering, is not usually applied and other shapes are preferred for new projects. In the paper architectural acoustic design approaches and solutions to maintain ancient shapes for modern architectural and acoustic design are investigated. A geometrical acoustic analysis is presented, followed by the description of different methods for avoiding focusing and whispering applied to a case study. Room Acoustics procedures and implementations of computer simulation techniques are included. A procedure for acoustic design for spaces with circular and elliptical plane or/and sections is suggested where the acoustic response is suitable for multipurpose uses.

2021 Immersive and 3D Audio: from Architecture to Automotive (I3DA), Sep 8, 2021

This paper explains the architectural acoustic project of the roof over the amphitheatre “Arena d... more This paper explains the architectural acoustic project of the roof over the amphitheatre “Arena di Verona”, to allow the use of this ancient space in any weather condition. Identified as a House for Lyrics, the Arena can also include other types of performances, where the stage can be in different positions, making necessary a new idea of space: a multifunctional space with a variable acoustic response. In particular, the sound response of the roof is such as to identify different areas of the stalls that can be used as stages, not just the existing one used for Opera. The roof optimizes a multiplicity of possible positions of sound sources, all supported in equal measure by an adequate acoustic field to satisfy the layout changes.

The output data sensitivity referred to the input variation in a calculation code developed for t... more The output data sensitivity referred to the input variation in a calculation code developed for the Room Acoustics analysis is the main goal of the paper; in particular for this study CATT-Acoustic commercial software is used. The paper is focused on the variation of the sound perception connected to the reverberation time output data by changing the diffuse reflection coefficient input data and the degree of model geometric discretization of its volume. Consequence is the identification of a trend to estimate the output variation in relation with the diffuse reflection coefficient values. It represents a support in the analysis of the acoustic response of confined spaces, especially in the concept phase, when the real space doesn’t exist yet, and there is no possibility to carry out measurements on site to compare with the simulation model results

Applied Acoustics, Feb 1, 2021

The subject of deregulation of electricity utilities has, in the past two decades, dominated the ... more The subject of deregulation of electricity utilities has, in the past two decades, dominated the discussions on global Electricity Supply Industries (ESIs). Deregulation may be viewed as the withdrawal of state regulatory powers from the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical power to facilitate liberalised power markets. The key drivers for deregulation in South Africa are global competitiveness; a quest for local industrial development through cost-effective services; equitable and sustainable power supplies and the social empowerment of communities through the eradication of poverty. The present Electricity Distribution Industry (EDI), which is a component of the ESI, is made up of Eskom Distribution and about 368 municipal distributors. At present, both these entities run their businesses according to differing "business" principles. With technology being one of the driving forces of economic growth, this article analyses the deregulated EDI and proposes a technology management model that can be adopted after deregulation.

Acoustics

Digital twins aim to virtually replicate the static and dynamic building characteristics through ... more Digital twins aim to virtually replicate the static and dynamic building characteristics through real-time connectivity between virtual and physical counterparts. Despite its potential, research into digital twins for facility management (FM) in multipurpose spaces is at an early stage, especially to control and optimize the various uses and configuration layouts. One of the major barriers to the adoption of digital twin technology in multipurpose buildings is the lack of interoperability, primarily between building information modeling (BIM) and Internet of things (IoT) data sources. This paper presents a possible digital-twin architecture to enable digital-twin applications aiming to impact building performance, acting on the facility management of stagecraft and variable acoustic architectural elements to control the reverberation time in real time. The case study of Roberto De Silva Multipurpose Hall is presented, in which the indoor acoustic quality is controlled by the digital...

Associazione Italiana di Acustica - 46° Convegno Nazionale, 2019

Euronoise2018, 2018

The output data sensitivity referred to the input variation in a calculation code developed for t... more The output data sensitivity referred to the input variation in a calculation code developed for the Room Acoustics analysis is the main goal of the paper; in particular for this study CATT-Acoustic commercial software is used. The paper is focused on the variation of the sound perception connected to the reverberation time output data by changing the diffuse reflection coefficient input data and the degree of model geometric discretization of its volume. Consequence is the identification of a trend to estimate the output variation in relation with the diffuse reflection coefficient values. It represents a support in the analysis of the acoustic response of confined spaces, especially in the concept phase, when the real space doesn’t exist yet, and there is no possibility to carry out measurements on site to compare with the simulation model results

Applied Acoustics, Nov 1, 2020

This work describes the sound field transformation in catholic churches up today, focusing on a n... more This work describes the sound field transformation in catholic churches up today, focusing on a new possible acoustic trend in modern buildings. In the past, the sacred sense inside a church was greatly reinforced by the surrounding atmosphere of a very reverberant space, with possible echoes, that infatuated the perception of God and his presence. On the contrary, nowadays, concentration and intimacy are preferred. Modern Church buildings have become acoustically complex places. They are complex from the geometric point of view, because their dimensions and shapes may be extremely varied, passing from simple auditorium-like churches to complicated ones characterized by curved walls, side chapels, vaults which often act as partially coupled volumes. The range of the possible sound messages is also extremely varied passing from the spoken word to congregational singing and sometimes to organ music during the same liturgical service. In this paper some main recommendations to follow in the acoustic design of new catholic churches are presented, explaining two case studies in detail: the Santa Gianna Beretta Molla Church in Trezzano, Milan (IT) and the Massimiliano Kolbe Church in Bergamo (IT). Room Acoustics procedures and implementations of computer simulation techniques are included. A new approach for the acoustic design is proposed in which the acoustic response is suitable for both speech and music as recent room acoustics' studies for other typologies of building such as theatres and multipurpose auditoria suggest.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Dec 7, 2020

The new multipurpose space is located inside a concrete parallelepiped building. The internal per... more The new multipurpose space is located inside a concrete parallelepiped building. The internal perimeter partition walls create shapes and geometries typical of Etruscan tombs. They consist of a circular structure in plan built in squared blocks, surmounted by a pseudo-dome in slabs arranged in concentric circles with decreasing diameters to form a domed envelope. In this paper the acoustic phenomena depending on the concave surfaces that characterize this space are presented, mainly focusing and whispering. Acoustic architectural elements are used to inhibit them against the architectural image and controlling the other main acoustics parameters such as the Reverberation Time. The suggested construction solutions mainly refer to the chosen materials to realize the tumuli envelope.

Applied Acoustics, Aug 1, 2023

Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols, 2020

Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, May 1, 2013

The acoustic design of the New Opera House in Astana (Kazakhstan) currently under construction wa... more The acoustic design of the New Opera House in Astana (Kazakhstan) currently under construction was carried out by Biobyte in Milan, Italy (Enrico Moretti and Maria Cairoli) assisted by Gade & Mortensen Akustik, Denmark (Anders Gade). In order to predict the acoustic consequences of the room geometry and decide on details in the design such as diffusion treatment of curved surfaces, it was decided to build a 1:20 scale model, in which several room acoustical parameters were measured. However, the scale model also provided an opportunity to compare the performance of scale model testing and room acoustic predictions by two computer simulation programs, which were also used for predictions in the design process. Therefore, besides information about the adequacy of the diffusion treatment to avoid focusing from concave surfaces (an aspect which is not well described by computer simulation) we obtained data on measurement accuracy—or rather deviations—between the results from the scale model (DIRAC) and the two different room acoustic prediction programs (CATT and ODEON). These results will be presented and discussed in the paper.

Applied Acoustics, Nov 1, 2018

The use of auditoria for more than one purpose is far from new but the conscious design to accomm... more The use of auditoria for more than one purpose is far from new but the conscious design to accommodate more than one acoustic type of performance is relatively recent. It has become increasingly apparent that for economic reasons auditoria dedicated to just one single use are often unrealistic for big companies and also in large cities where a degree of flexibility in use is now becoming the norm from speech or music to theatre, performances and fashion shows. The possibility to find architectural solutions to control a variable acoustics within a big range is the main interest in this discussion. Construction details are developed and their possible combinations of different customized elements is reported, related to a specific case study: the Calzedonia Auditorium, a shoebox of 10.200 m 3. In literature there are general traditional guidelines to apply for large multipurpose rooms. Because in this space the seats are totally removable and there are design features unique for it, some of these guidelines are accepted and some are changed in relation with the requests of the client and considering also the possibility of a new approach suitable for both speech and music in some special layouts and configurations. Predicting situations are explained to create a methodological approach, according to the contemporary multipurpose requests. Numerous configurations, more than 12, with different combinations of the movable architectural element positions have been recorded in the software depending on the number of seats in the room and activities to be deployed. Measures confirm the acoustic design, the client satisfaction the integrated Architecture.

Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols, 2020

Applied Acoustics, Feb 1, 2021

Large spaces, circular in plan, can be preferred by architects to design large auditoria, even th... more Large spaces, circular in plan, can be preferred by architects to design large auditoria, even though they can cause acoustical singularities such as focusing and whispering gallery. In large auditoria for multipurpose functions are becoming a common request to use the space for different activities such as conferences, concerts of classical and amplified music, shows, etc. and the necessity to find architectural solutions in order to consider the variable acoustic demands according to different possible layouts, are growing. In this paper, as a case study, architectural acoustic design approaches and solutions for a circular auditorium are presented. The case study was made in “Le Serre” hall for 1000 people, in the Villa Erba Convention Center, located in Cernobbio (Italy), in which different combinations of movable architectural elements are developed to create a multipurpose space. A geometrical acoustic analyses are included, followed by the description of different methods to avoid focusing and whispering. Room acoustics procedures and implementations of computer simulation techniques are developed.

Energy Reports, Nov 1, 2021

Abstract Building information modelling (BIM) is trying to overcome the issue of interoperability... more Abstract Building information modelling (BIM) is trying to overcome the issue of interoperability by promoting the collaboration between different professions, which enables Building Performance Assessments (BPA) to take place earlier in the design process. Nevertheless, the interoperability is rarely perfect and information is lost during translation from BIM authoring tool to simulation software or the interoperability is limited to the translation of the geometry. The discrepancies in data translations from BIM authoring tool to specific Calculation Virtual Environments (CVE) for energy and acoustic evaluation are considered. For the energy performance evaluation two software tools are tested in the present research paper, namely the Design Builder and IES VE , using IFC and gbXML as data exchange formats. Furthermore, a solution is proposed for overcoming the interoperability issue about acoustic evaluation by adapting programming language in Dynamo Graphical Interface for calculation of acoustic parameters, namely the Reverberation time and Schroeder’s frequency, which allow room quality evaluation to take place earlier in the design process as they are crucial for educational and other facility usage buildings.

Applied Acoustics, Dec 1, 2020

Ancient architectural shapes as domes and other curved surfaces are widely admired by architects ... more Ancient architectural shapes as domes and other curved surfaces are widely admired by architects even if they may present serious acoustical hazards. In large interiors formed by curved surfaces, acoustical singularities such as the ''sliding" of sound along a concave wall or a concentration of sound in a distant location of the room may happen. These phenomena can be mostly found in historical spaces where these effects were usually detected accidentally creating an atmosphere of mystery. Nowadays, in contemporary auditoriums they are mostly considered an acoustic flaw and they must be corrected or eliminated. A practice in avoiding these miraculous acoustical properties, the focusing and whispering, is not usually applied and other shapes are preferred for new projects. In the paper architectural acoustic design approaches and solutions to maintain ancient shapes for modern architectural and acoustic design are investigated. A geometrical acoustic analysis is presented, followed by the description of different methods for avoiding focusing and whispering applied to a case study. Room Acoustics procedures and implementations of computer simulation techniques are included. A procedure for acoustic design for spaces with circular and elliptical plane or/and sections is suggested where the acoustic response is suitable for multipurpose uses.

2021 Immersive and 3D Audio: from Architecture to Automotive (I3DA), Sep 8, 2021

This paper explains the architectural acoustic project of the roof over the amphitheatre “Arena d... more This paper explains the architectural acoustic project of the roof over the amphitheatre “Arena di Verona”, to allow the use of this ancient space in any weather condition. Identified as a House for Lyrics, the Arena can also include other types of performances, where the stage can be in different positions, making necessary a new idea of space: a multifunctional space with a variable acoustic response. In particular, the sound response of the roof is such as to identify different areas of the stalls that can be used as stages, not just the existing one used for Opera. The roof optimizes a multiplicity of possible positions of sound sources, all supported in equal measure by an adequate acoustic field to satisfy the layout changes.

The output data sensitivity referred to the input variation in a calculation code developed for t... more The output data sensitivity referred to the input variation in a calculation code developed for the Room Acoustics analysis is the main goal of the paper; in particular for this study CATT-Acoustic commercial software is used. The paper is focused on the variation of the sound perception connected to the reverberation time output data by changing the diffuse reflection coefficient input data and the degree of model geometric discretization of its volume. Consequence is the identification of a trend to estimate the output variation in relation with the diffuse reflection coefficient values. It represents a support in the analysis of the acoustic response of confined spaces, especially in the concept phase, when the real space doesn’t exist yet, and there is no possibility to carry out measurements on site to compare with the simulation model results

Applied Acoustics, Feb 1, 2021

The subject of deregulation of electricity utilities has, in the past two decades, dominated the ... more The subject of deregulation of electricity utilities has, in the past two decades, dominated the discussions on global Electricity Supply Industries (ESIs). Deregulation may be viewed as the withdrawal of state regulatory powers from the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical power to facilitate liberalised power markets. The key drivers for deregulation in South Africa are global competitiveness; a quest for local industrial development through cost-effective services; equitable and sustainable power supplies and the social empowerment of communities through the eradication of poverty. The present Electricity Distribution Industry (EDI), which is a component of the ESI, is made up of Eskom Distribution and about 368 municipal distributors. At present, both these entities run their businesses according to differing "business" principles. With technology being one of the driving forces of economic growth, this article analyses the deregulated EDI and proposes a technology management model that can be adopted after deregulation.

Acoustics

Digital twins aim to virtually replicate the static and dynamic building characteristics through ... more Digital twins aim to virtually replicate the static and dynamic building characteristics through real-time connectivity between virtual and physical counterparts. Despite its potential, research into digital twins for facility management (FM) in multipurpose spaces is at an early stage, especially to control and optimize the various uses and configuration layouts. One of the major barriers to the adoption of digital twin technology in multipurpose buildings is the lack of interoperability, primarily between building information modeling (BIM) and Internet of things (IoT) data sources. This paper presents a possible digital-twin architecture to enable digital-twin applications aiming to impact building performance, acting on the facility management of stagecraft and variable acoustic architectural elements to control the reverberation time in real time. The case study of Roberto De Silva Multipurpose Hall is presented, in which the indoor acoustic quality is controlled by the digital...

Associazione Italiana di Acustica - 46° Convegno Nazionale, 2019

Euronoise2018, 2018

The output data sensitivity referred to the input variation in a calculation code developed for t... more The output data sensitivity referred to the input variation in a calculation code developed for the Room Acoustics analysis is the main goal of the paper; in particular for this study CATT-Acoustic commercial software is used. The paper is focused on the variation of the sound perception connected to the reverberation time output data by changing the diffuse reflection coefficient input data and the degree of model geometric discretization of its volume. Consequence is the identification of a trend to estimate the output variation in relation with the diffuse reflection coefficient values. It represents a support in the analysis of the acoustic response of confined spaces, especially in the concept phase, when the real space doesn’t exist yet, and there is no possibility to carry out measurements on site to compare with the simulation model results