University Selects Lockers for Acoustic-Sensitive Environment

Magnificent acoustics and quiet elegance are the hallmarks of DePaul University’s new $98 million, 185,000-sq.-ft. performing arts facility. “The new center is a technologically advanced, aesthetically sleek performing arts center that meets the wide-ranging music needs of students, faculty and the surrounding community,” said Rob Roubik, a principal at Antunovich Assocs. in Chicago. As part of the initiative to decrease noise from unwanted places, DePaul chose lockers that limit sound.

Meticulously constructed with a profound emphasis on acoustics and learning, the new facility was designed to comfortably seat more than 800 patrons in four separate performance spaces, while indulging the musical talents of students, staff and faculty. This includes simultaneous access to the 505-seat Mary Patricia Gannon Concert Hall, the 140-seat Murray and Michele Allen Recital Hall, the 80-seat Brennan Family Recital Hall, and the 75-seat Mary A. Dempsey and Philip H. Corboy Jazz Hall.

According to Roubik, the selection process included the careful specification of everything from angled sound reflective walls and acoustically isolated floors to the installation of the new resilient Tufftec lockers from Scranton Products. Among the many selling points was each locker’s ability to open and close quietly in an environment extremely sensitive to acoustics, noise and sound, while securely storing musical instruments ranging from flutes and clarinets to trombones and tubas.

Throughout the complex, more than 500 light gray lockers were installed in multiple sizes ranges. Engineered for strength and durability, Tufftec’s hdpe material is specifically designed to withstand the harshest daily use in addition to being low maintenance and easy to clean. The lockers are also impact, dent and graffiti resistant as well as impervious to moisture. With 25% to 100% post-consumer recycled content, Tufftec’s hdpe is naturally resistant to bacteria, mold and mildew.