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Marnoo Hub with Acoustic Panels
Acoustic Panels for Marnoo Hub
The Challenge
Marnoo Hub, a central gathering place in the community, was grappling with significant acoustic challenges. The venue’s large, open design with hard surfaces led to excessive reverberation, making conversations difficult and events less enjoyable. The prolonged echo not only hindered speech intelligibility but also contributed to listener fatigue, affecting the overall experience of the hub’s users.
Community members and event organisers expressed concerns about the sound quality during various activities, including meetings, dinners and social gatherings. The management recognised the need for an effective solution to enhance the acoustic environment without compromising the aesthetic appeal of the space.
An onsite survey confirmed what regulars already felt. Average RT60—the time it takes sound to decay by 60 dB—measured 1.46 seconds at speech-critical 1 kHz; some low-mid frequencies stretched even longer. Any talk of community plans, dinners or gatherings dissolved into a muffled blur.
Excessive reverberation doesn’t just annoy; it increases vocal strain, raises fatigue levels and forces listeners to work harder to follow conversation. For a multipurpose hall designed to bring people together, poor noise control was undermining its mission.
The Solution
To address the reverberation issue, SoundFix Acoustic engineers modelled several scenarios before recommending a ceiling-centric treatment: 126 ECOSHIELD R40 acoustic panels arrayed in even tracks across the 330 m² roof span. Each 40 mm panel offers an NRC of 0.90, capturing up to 90 % of incident sound energy in the vocal band.
The decision to use these specific panels was based on their ability to integrate seamlessly with the existing architecture while providing the necessary acoustic treatment. The panels’ design ensures that they not only function effectively but also complement the visual aesthetics of the hub.Project scope notes in the official report list the treatment and testing standard—ISO 3382-2:2008 procedures paired with AS/NZS 2107 criteria.
The Installation
The installation process was meticulously planned to minimise disruption to the hub’s activities. SoundFix Acoustics’ experienced team carried out the installation efficiently, ensuring that the panels were strategically placed to maximise sound absorption.
The process involved:
Assessing the space to determine optimal panel placement.
Installing the panels securely to the ceiling as required.
Ensuring that the installation maintained the hub’s aesthetic integrity
The entire installation was completed within the scheduled timeframe, allowing the hub to resume its regular activities promptly.
The Outcome:
Sound readings told the success story. The average RT60 plummeted from 1.46 s to 0.86 s, a 41 % reduction across the critical 250 Hz–2 kHz range. Frequency-by-frequency improvements showed up to 44 % shorter decay at 500 Hz and 49 % at 1 kHz, precisely where speech intelligibility lives.
This reduction aligns with recommended standards for spaces intended for speech and communal activities.
The enhanced acoustics have led to:
Improved speech intelligibility during events and gatherings.
A more comfortable environment for attendees, reducing auditory strain.
Increased satisfaction among users of the hub, encouraging greater community engagement.
The successful implementation of the acoustic panels has transformed Marnoo Hub into a more inviting and functional space for various activities.
Acoustic Solutions to Your Loud Classroom
Whether you manage a civic hall, arts centre or sports pavilion, uncontrolled echo can derail user experience. SoundFix Acoustics designs and installs science-backed noise solutions—from community places upgrades to complex venues—using acoustic panels delivered with zero-fuss scheduling.
👉 Book a free acoustic audit or download the full Marnoo Hub report to see how measurable change happens.
Download the full reverberation report
complete with frequency-band charts, position-by-position graphs and our ISO 3382-2 measurement notes – and see every data point for yourself.
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What our customers say.
We prefer our customers to tell you why you should choose SoundFix Acoustics Panels.
“If you have a noisy restaurant, get this done ASAP! It’s one of the best things you can do for your business! These acoustic panels are magical! Before, when we had a full house, it was really hard for customers to hear each other. Now, the feedback has been amazing! Our customers are really happy, and so are we!”
Jullia
Julias Restaurant
“The installation only took about 3.5 hours. We just moved the children to a different room for a couple of hours, and the panels were up—you can’t even notice they’re there. The improvement is instant. Even outside the room, I can hear less noise. The educators are saying it’s less stressful, and there’s less stress on the children.”
Caren Aspinall
Coburg Learning Centre
“We had several groups come in and the sound was horrendous and intolerable really... Once we have the sound panels in, we noticed the difference from the first day! Now we can talk and interact with people. I recommend SoundFix and I recommend the product!”
Shirley McLean
Manager, St Anne's Winery
“ With SoundFix acoustic panels, we have a room that's less reverberent, even with people in it... So now we have a room that sounds like a proper theatre, even though it's just a school hall! I can definitely recommend SoundFix for any schools or large spaces.”
Dean Lovell
Sound Engineer, Barker College
They were able to answer all my questions, and they were able to provide a solution within a couple of days. I’d happily recommend SoundFix to anyone
It is just remarkably different after installing the panels. Every teacher has commented on the change, and it also looks fantastic, it blends in beautifully
The first day after the installation we noticed improvement in the reverberation… We can actually talk and interact with people I can recommend the product