Here's how you can enhance your skills in architectural acoustics and soundproofing as an architect.

To enhance your skills in architectural acoustics and soundproofing, focus on collaborating with acoustical consultants and staying updated with industry standards and codes. Attend workshops, seminars, and conferences to network and learn from experts. Engage in hands-on projects to understand practical applications and problem-solving techniques. Additionally, review case studies of successful projects to gain insights into effective acoustic solutions.

Enhance your skills in architectural acoustics and soundproofing by learning the basics. Take specialized courses or attend workshops to understand fundamental principles. Study case studies of successful acoustic designs, and apply these concepts in your projects. Stay updated with the latest materials and technologies in soundproofing to continually improve your expertise.

Learn Basics: Study the fundamental principles of sound, acoustics, and soundproofing in architectural design. Material Mastery: Gain in-depth knowledge of soundproofing materials and their applications, including insulation, barriers, and absorptive materials. Software Skills: Become proficient in acoustic simulation and modeling software to design and analyze acoustic environments. Design Strategies: Learn effective design strategies for controlling noise and optimizing acoustics in different types of spaces. Real-world Experience: Gain practical experience by working on projects Learning: Stay updated with the latest advancements in acoustic technology and best practices through courses.

There is a vast array of sheet materials that will have sound reducing / sound absorbing properties. Only a fraction of these have ever been measured acoustically. An experienced acoustician will normally have a large private library of data gleaned over many years. There is a comprehensive array of well documented commercial materials & constructions, and then there are many 'exotic' or even mundane materials that have somehow been tested for the oddest of reasons with surprising results.

Good acoustics is not a luxury. In many cases it's a key component of the function of the space. Get educated on the basics of building acoustics in order to cover common situations and to know when you should call a professional for help. Know that the typical public understanding of acoustics is often drastically wrong. Hearing is a complex sensory representation of the physical world, but it can be a poor guide to how sound actually works. For example "soundproof" describes an experience under a given set of circumstances, not a physical property of any material or construction. I strongly discourage use of this word because it can create unattainable expectations.

Don't be afraid of what the acoustician advises and what it may do to your visual aesthetics. I once encountered a school auditorium with a reverberation time of 3 seconds, rendering the space useless. We covered 80% of the ceiling with 'surface mounted' vinyl-faced ceiling tiles reducing the reverberation to a very acceptable 0.5 seconds. We did receive one complaint from the installer. He wanted 'before & after' pictures of the installation but when he compared the photographs he was unable to see any difference !

Theatres and recording studios are very niche areas. Most of my work has been into the internal acoustics of residential, commercial and industrial spaces, and in the external environmental acoustics. Basic acoustics will only take you so far. Extreme levels of sound can occur in the oddest of places. Sometimes it is essential to deal with the oddest sound sources. Add in focusing effects and eigen tone and the fun begins.