DESIGN GUIDE: MUSIC AND DRAMA CENTERS
DG 1110.3.120
C H A P T E R 3: ENVIRONMENT
JANUARY 1981
lights, a glossy material in the wrong place can
and balanced supply and return both within the
wreak havoc on a carefully crafted visual pres-
stagehouse volume.
entation. As a general rule, finishes at the stage
end of the Room should have the characteristics
There is very little room for ductwork in the
of matte surface; black, white or neutral color;
stagehouse. Recommended practice is a "dump-
and ease of maintenance, cleaning or
down" low velocity supply under the fly gallery
replacement.
with a wall return grill just above, obviating the
need to cool the hot air of upper regions which
2. Ambience
is exhausted. For low-load, non-performance
hours, fin-tube or electrical radiation may be re-
Concern for environment extends beyond meas-
quired along exterior walls.
urable functional needs. The need that generated
the performance is not measurable, yet it must
The upper level exhaust out-take can serve dou-
be reckoned with. Gatherings of people are so-
ble duty for smoke removal in emergency mode
cial events-an opportunity to see and be seen
by cutting in fans activated by detectors above
by others in a particular context. The appearance
the gridiron and by manual throw fire alarm.
of the Room, and of people in it, is an essential
quality. This quality translates to a simple rule;
Normally, heat and smoke detectors are located
in return ducts serving the House.
the people should be seen first and best. Finish
selection, lighting color, level, softness, and
modeling effect should be keyed to human fea-
B. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FACTORS
tures and skin tones. A little glitter gives a help-
ing hand to social dress, but it should not dis-
1. Functional Considerations
tract. The scale of detail and pattern against
which people are seen should match human di-
Measurable environmental criteria are readily
mensions. Finishes should be considered in their
obtained from such standards as the ASHRAE
Handbook referred to above, IES Illumination
relationship to people (next to, near, and far
levels for various tasks, and empirically deter-
away), and in terms of richness and warmth, con-
mined preferred noise criteria (PNC) for various
trast, and finally overall tone.
space uses. These most often relate to equip-
ment systems and details of construction.
A more general criterion of good design relates
to the organizational clarity of public assembly
facilities, the ease of orientation and fulfillment
DlVlSlON 2
of expectations. It makes little sense to arbitrarily
"design" complexity into ordinary activities like
THE BACKSTAGE
finding one's seat. Comfort involves relaxation
and a sense of control.
Public space design must naturally minimize
questions of procedure. Inherent clarity in ar-
chitectural space results in functional efficien-
cies, too-in operating factors like anticipated
3-11. PERFORMANCE
depreciation and repair, the number of direc-
tional signage devices needed, the prevention of
SUPPORT
accidental injury, and effective security control.
A second functional concern involves the acous-
tic and visual effects of materials and finishes in
performance facilities. No furnishings, fixtures,
This section discusses the second major com-
draperies, paints or wall coverings should be in-
ponent of a performance facility-backstage pro-
stalled without investigation of their properties
duction support. The process of identifying prior-
with respect to desired Room qualities.
ities is made easier by the selection of stagehouse
functions. The task is to match an appropriate
While this is especially true for acoustic criteria,
complement of support facilities with the range
a poor selection of lighting fixtures, a paint pig-
of anticipated presentations. Many of the choices
ment that behaves oddly under performance
can be approached by asking who is to use and
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