Fellowship Hall Acoustic Design: Then and Now

Fellowship halls are at the center of church operations. These large rooms are where meetings are held, meals are had, and friendships are built. Because fellowship halls are meant to serve as large social spaces, it’s easy for background noise to get out of control. As the noise increases, and the echoes bounce off the walls and ceilings, people begin to raise their voices in order to be heard. The noisiness can be bothersome and can make events especially difficult for an aging senior population that may be hard of hearing. The distracting background noise and poor acoustic capabilities is a serious barrier when it comes to your congregation enjoying church events. How has fellowship hall acoustic design adapted over the years to address this issue? Let’s take a look.

The History of Fellowship Halls

Back in the day, hardly any attention was directed towards fellowship hall acoustic design. While these churches did offer social spaces for congregants to convene, the spaces did not resemble the fellowship halls we know today. In early rural America, there was a strong religious presence, and churchgoers would orient most Sundays around their travel plans and the Sunday service. Individuals would attend the morning service, and afterwards take their lunch and eat outside the church with the rest of the congregation. After the afternoon service ended, people would go home with just enough sunlight left to handle their evening chores and prepare for the week ahead. To ensure this social gathering continued, churches worked to develop an indoor space to host such events. Thus, the fellowship hall was born.

Fellowship Hall Acoustical Challenges Today

Today, the social structure of a church revolves around fellowship hall events. Nowadays, nearly every church has a large fellowship hall where they host meals, events, meetings, and anything else that can’t be done in the nave. However, many fellowship halls are acoustic nightmares. Background noise rises steadily until it becomes difficult to hear what your other tablemates are saying. This can render the fellowship hall useless for its true purpose: meeting, congregating, and conversing. Despite the obvious issues, churches depend on fellowship halls for the vast majority of church activities. So, how can fellowship hall acoustic design be adapted to improve the overall sound quality of the space?

Flat Sound Panel Technology

The most efficient way to improve the sound quality in your fellowship hall is to install sound-absorbing acoustic panels. Wall or ceiling mounted, these sound tiles capture and convert the echoes in the room, which significantly lowers the level of background noise in the hall to deliver back greater clarity to communication and premium sound quality.  Flat sound technology, a popular noise reduction option for churches, is easy to install, cost effective, and doesn’t throw off the aesthetics of the room.

When it comes to sound panels, NetWell’s innovative Fabric Panel is a clear standout. The NetWell Fabric Panel is a cloth-wrapped sound board that will ensure your room has the best sound quality possible. Available in over 60 color palettes, you can be sure to find panels that match your decor or blend in seamlessly with the wall coloring. In addition, NetWell custom cuts sound panels, so you can get the exact size that you’ve been after.  They can also be upgraded to a tackable version allowing seasonal messaging to be pinned to the sound panels.  Note these panels can be anchored mechanically to either your wall or ceiling surface to produce the intended soundproofing effects.

To improve your church’s acoustic design, simply follow these steps:

• Step One: Measure your room’s length, width, and height.
• Step Two: Submit your room’s dimensions to the NetWell website.
• Step Three: Approve the quote that we send you.
• Step Four: Follow our simple self-installation guide to enjoy a better acoustic environment immediately.

Churches were intended to serve as sanctuaries for communities — a safe space to host large public gatherings and inspiring sermons. With poor acoustics in place, churchgoers cannot take full advantage of their church community.  Excellent sound quality should be priority, and NetWell is here to help you make the necessary fellowship hall acoustic design upgrades.

Learn more about our sound panels for fellowship halls and submit room measurements here