LIVELab - McMaster University
The Department of Psychology at McMaster University has, for many years, performed pioneering work researching the neural activity of babies when exposed to music. They wanted to expand this work to the general population and developed a concept called the Large Interactive Virtual Environment Lab (LIVELab).
Our job was to help design a building for LIVELab. This meant some serious noise control designs to ensure that the room was as quiet as possible. Which, indeed, it is. We also had to provide room acoustics that were neutral enough so as not to interfere with the electronically controlled artificial acoustics. The artificial acoustics system is critical to the research planned at the facility. This, together with the Department of Psychology's neurological testing equipment, enables researchers to "see" how the brain responds to different acoustic environments be it a dry sounding living room or a large gothic cathedral.
LIVELab is - and will be - capable of so much. It's already the talk of the neuroscience research community. For the best explanation of what has been achieved and what is anticipated, please watch the videos shown to the right.