Why engage a consultant?

That's a question that many organisations ask when it comes to acoustics and performance systems. Strangely, in many new building projects that I've been involved in, the acoustics consultant is usually the last specialist that's engaged.

Here are a few reasons why anyone should consider engaging an acoustic consultant even before the architect -

1) Prioritise your programming needs. An experienced consultant will help your organisation sort out its programming priorities and advise on spaces, sizes and functionality. They can help you develop a design brief for the architect and design team.

2) Independence. Independent acoustic consultants should only be selling their services to your organisation. They should not represent any of the products specified and should not make any commission or profit from the installed equipment or systems. Design decisions should be based on needs rather than what is available in the inventory.

3) Experience. Good consultants have invested considerable time and money into education with years of related field experience to boot. As the field of acoustics and performance system is very wide, it's important to engage an acoustic consultant that has related experience to your project. Some consultants have lots of experience in noise control. They should not be engaged to design a complex audio or video system for your new space.

4) Stewardship. Getting a consultant to design something that works well for your space is good stewardship of resources. I have been involved in many upgrading projects in the last decade; some of these spaces are fairly new, having been in operation for only 4 or 5 years. Most of these projects are complete redesigns rather than upgrades. Why? Because they were not designed well in the first place. For example, a well designed system should work well in the space for many years; a typical audio system should last well over a decade. Having said that, upgrading due to obsolescence and expansion are inevitable in this day and age. However, a good consultant would have advised and design a good infrastructure backbone for all installed systems.

Good consultants always share their knowledge and take time to explain critical design decisions to the client. That is one of the key factors in choosing a consultant. You must feel comfortable with your choice and that your ideas and thoughts for the new space will be considered from every angle.

So, in a nutshell.....engaging a consultant will benefit any organisation in the areas of cost savings, functionality and design excellence!