UNCP Julian T. Pierce Health Center, North Carolina

Location: Pembroke, North Carolina
Owner/Operator: University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Architect: Jenkins Peer Architects

New state-of-the-art healthcare facility in in Southeastern North Carolina

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP), founded in 1887 to educate American Indian teachers, is a public institution located in southeastern North Carolina. Today, it stands as one of the most diverse campuses in the South, offering more than 50 undergraduate and graduate programs across arts, sciences, business, health, and education.

A new medical center in Robeson County will offer optometry services through a partnership with UNCP. The new state-of-the-art 30,000 square foot healthcare facility will house a variety of health science labs, classroom spaces, and a coveted optometry lab for UNCP. Faculty from UNC Pembroke will provide optometry services to patients at the new Julian T. Pierce Health Center, and they will also use the space to train students.

Acoustical Design Challenge for a Health Sciences Hub with Optometry Clinics

HGC Noise Vibration Acoustics was retained to ensure the new Health Center delivers exceptional acoustic performance for both teaching and patient care. Our review focused on two critical areas which presented unique acoustical challenges:

• The interface between a Mechanical Room and Optometry Clinical Lanes directly below.
• The Commons Area, a multi-purpose hub intended to serve both as a food hall and as a lecture space

Drawing on design development drawings, interior renderings, and mechanical equipment information, HGC developed acoustical models leading to conceptual recommendations to support a comfortable, functional acoustic environment aligned with the new Health Center’s teaching and student-use requirements.

1. Mechanical Room & Optometry Clinical Lanes

Noise Transmission Risks in Healthcare Teaching Environments

Mechanical Room Configuration

Located directly above the Optometry Clinical Lanes, a Mechanical Room houses an important 33,000 CFM air-handling unit serving multiple areas throughout the building; sound transmission from this equipment to the learning spaces below was of concern. Air is routed from this unit through long duct runs and branches that travel via a shaft located outside the footprint of the clinical lanes; as a result, the primary concern was noise radiated through the floor/ceiling assembly, rather than duct-borne transmission.

Acoustical Criteria for Clinical Teaching Spaces

Noise Criterion (NC) levels describe acceptable background noise in a space using standardized curves, with lower NC values corresponding to quieter environments. Achieving appropriate NC ratings helps to ensure mechanical and building systems do not interfere with speech intelligibility, concentration, or clinical activities.

The design team identified NC-35 as the target for the clinical lanes, consistent with ASHRAE recommendations for group teaching and clinical rooms. To account for duct-borne contributions HGC recommended that noise radiated from the Mechanical Room be targeted at NC-30 or lower.

Mechanical Noise Assessment: Airborne & Structure-Borne Noise Predictions

HGC obtained floor/ceiling assembly details from the architect and mechanical equipment specifications from the mechanical consultant. Based on provided acoustical data and comparable reference data from HGC’s internal library, HGC conducted analysis to estimate airborne sound transmission from the Mechanical Room into the clinical lanes. These predictions were compared to NC performance targets and typical expectations for teaching laboratories. Potential structure-borne noise transmission pathways were also reviewed.

Mitigation Recommendations and Conceptual Noise Control Options

Where predicted noise levels approached or exceeded recommended limits, or where structure-borne noise transmission paths of concern were identified, HGC identified potential mitigation measures such as:

• Upgrading the Mechanical Room floor construction
• Enhancing the ceiling assembly within the Optometry Clinical Lanes
• Incorporating improved vibration isolation strategies for equipment

A summary memorandum outlined performance expectations and recommended next steps for the design team.

2. Commons Area

Acoustical Challenges in a Multi-Use Food Hall and Lecture Space with Dual-Use Requirements

The Commons Area will function primarily as a high-traffic food hall but will also host occasional lecture-style gatherings. These uses require different acoustical conditions: dining spaces can tolerate a livelier soundscape, while instructional settings benefit from lower reverberation to support speech intelligibility. Because the space will employ an A/V system during lectures, moderate reverberation is acceptable, provided it does not interfere with clarity.

Reverberation Time Targets

HGC established a performance target between 1.0 and 1.5 seconds at 500 Hz, with variation by frequency band to prioritize human speech (500 Hz–4,000 Hz). These values balance the needs of occasional instructional use and the practicalities of a food service space.

Review of Design Drawings and Finishes

HGC coordinated with the design team to obtain supplemental architectural sections, elevations, and interior finish plans. Room geometry and proposed finishes were incorporated into a computational acoustical model to predict RT60 values.

Predictive Acoustical Modelling Results

The acoustical model evaluated reverberation times across all relevant frequency bands. Where predictions exceeded recommended targets, HGC explored alternate wall and ceiling finish configurations to optimize performance without compromising interior design intent.

Acoustical Treatment Strategies and Recommendations

HGC developed treatment strategies that could include enhanced ceiling absorption, selective wall treatments, or distributed acoustic finishes depending on architectural priorities. Multiple options were reviewed to ensure compatibility with the project’s aesthetic direction. Findings, predicted performance, and recommended mitigation strategies were summarized in a concise technical memorandum to guide refinement of the Commons Area design.

Acoustical Consulting Services Provided Included:

• Reverberation modelling and interior acoustical performance analysis

• Sound insulation and mechanical noise transmission assessment

• Development of Noise Criterion (NC) and reverberation time targets

• Concept-level acoustic treatment strategies for architectural and mechanical systems

• Technical memoranda summarizing findings, modelling outputs, and recommended mitigation actions