Design Guide: Band Training Facilities
DG-1110-3-119
Space Criteria
March 1983
4-2 Main Rehearsal Room
Average ceiling height of 20'-30' is recommended; 15'
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is an absolute minimum. No musician should stand within
7-1/2" of the ceiling. (Heights of less than 18' should
A. Use
be considered only if a minimum volume of 600 cu. ft.
per musician is maintained.)
(see also the Functions Program in Paragraph 2-3).
Avoid long, narrow rooms, since good visual communica-
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The Main Rehearsal Room must be large enough to
tion with the director is impossible if the rooms are
accommodate a full 45- or 65-person band, as
either excessively wide or deep,
applicable, plus approximately five soloists perform-
ing with the ensemble. Space should be adequate for
Minimum recommended dimension: at least 30 feet for
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alternative arrangements of musicians, for training
a 1,575 Net Square Feet (NSF) room, 40 feet for a 2,275
and for recording set-ups.
NSF room. (see Figures 4-1 A&B)
Occasionally used for small group practice, but mainly
C. Spatial Character and Organization
for concert, marching band, stage band and chorus
rehearsals and full unit meetings.
Large room volume is required to control loudness of
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Often accommodates large instruments (e.g., piano,
sound for good room acoustics. Design to accommo-
percussion), even when not being used. These must
date the percussive and brass-heavy quality of the band,
be able to easily be moved out to other use spaces.
so that the musicians can hear themselves and each
Bandmaster should have good visual communication with
other (see Paragraph 3-5 on acoustical principles).
all members of the group and be able to hear and iden-
Enhance clarity of sound by minimizing reverberation time,
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tify problems of individual instrumentalists.
although not at the expense of room volume.
B. Size and Critical Dimensions
Splayed walls are beneficial for sound diffusion, although
q
q 1,575
NSF for a 45-member band; 2,275 NSF for a
parallel walls can be used, with appropriate treatment
65-member band.
of surfaces (see Chapter 5).
Figure 4-1. Illustrative Main Rehearsal Rooms
A. 45 person new construction example
4-2