Mistawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation Community Hall, Saskatchewan
Location: Leask, Saskatchewan
Owner/Operator: Mistawasis Nêhiyawak
Architect: Wallace Krueger Architects
Consulting Engineers: Rempel Engineering & Management Ltd.
General Contractor: RNF Ventures Ltd.
Acoustical Design Challenge for an Indigenous Community Gathering Space
The Mistawasis Nêhiyawak is a Cree First Nation band government in Leask, Saskatchewan, Canada. The Nation has one reserve with an area of approximately 125 km2. The Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Community Hall stands as a vital centre for cultural, educational, and social activities within the Mistawasis Nêhiyawak. As the community continues to build capacity through the Iron Buffalo Centre—focusing on education, training, and employment—the new hall is envisioned as a space that enhances quality of life for individuals, families, and the broader community. With this vision, the hall’s main gathering area was designed to accommodate a wide range of events, from celebrations and meetings to performances and ceremonies.
Shortly after construction, concerns emerged regarding the interior acoustics of the main hall. Community members and stakeholders noted that sound tended to build up within the space, making speech difficult to understand and leading to a noisy, “boomy” environment during gatherings. Recognizing the importance of clear communication and acoustic comfort, Mistawasis Nêhiyawak engaged HGC Noise Vibration Acoustics to conduct a comprehensive reverberation assessment and recommend solutions tailored to the hall’s unique needs.
Acoustic Computational Model of the First Nation Community Hall
HGC Acoustics began by reviewing the “Issued for Construction” drawings and finish schedules, as well as site photographs, to develop an accurate acoustic computational model of the Community Hall. The model accounted for the hall’s dimensions and the predominance of acoustically “hard” surfaces—such as exposed floors, walls, and ceilings—which are common in multipurpose spaces but can contribute to excessive reverberation.
Through this modelling, HGC was able to predict how sound would behave in the hall under typical use. The analysis focused on reverberation time (RT60), a key metric that describes how long sound persists in a room after the source has stopped. Excessive reverberation can mask speech syllables, making it difficult for listeners to follow conversations or presentations—especially in large, open spaces where sound reflections accumulate.
Community Hall Acoustics and Speech Clarity Considerations
The assessment revealed that the Community Hall’s existing finishes resulted in a high degree of reverberation, which was detrimental to speech intelligibility and overall acoustic comfort. In spaces intended for unamplified speech, community meetings, and social events, it is essential to strike a balance: too much reverberation can make a room feel acoustically “dead,” while too little leads to a loss of clarity and increased noise levels.
Drawing on industry standards, best practices, and HGC’s experience with similar projects, a target reverberation time of 1.5 seconds or less across the speech frequency range (500 Hz to 2,000 Hz) was established. This target supports clear communication without sacrificing the lively character needed for multipurpose use.
Recommended Community Hall Acoustical Treatments
To achieve the desired acoustic environment, HGC recommended the strategic addition of high-performance absorptive treatments to both wall and ceiling surfaces. The recommended treatments were selected for their high Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC), ensuring effective absorption of sound energy across the speech frequency range. HGC provided guidance on the minimum required NRC and suggested that alternative materials meeting this standard could also be considered. The proposed solution was designed to be practical, cost-effective, and compatible with the hall’s architectural character.
With the implementation of the recommended acoustic treatments, the Community Hall is expected to achieve reverberation times within the established target, significantly improving speech intelligibility and reducing overall noise build-up. These enhancements will support a wide variety of uses—from community meetings and educational sessions to celebrations and performances—ensuring that the space remains welcoming, functional, and comfortable for all users.
Acoustical Services Provided by HGC Noise Vibration Acoustics
- Development of an acoustical computational model based on construction drawings and site finishes
- Reverberation time analysis and establishment of acoustic performance targets
- Recommendations for wall and ceiling acoustic treatments, including material selection and placement
- Guidance on supplier options for acoustic panels
