About RBDG

More Than Twenty-Five Years of Service

Welcome to Russ Berger Design Group, a firm specializing in acoustical and architectural design for recording studios and broadcast facilities.

What began nearly four decades ago as a one-man show has grown into a diverse team of experienced problem solvers. We bring a proven track record of creativity, responsiveness, and technical expertise to a wide variety of projects including recording and broadcast studios; facilities for entertainment and media content, audio, film, and post-production; technical learning environments for higher education; residential theaters; and corporate production spaces.

We have completed more than 2,500 projects from coast to coast, ranging from personal home studios to corporate mega-facilities, and from small remodels to major purpose-built complexes. We are immensely proud of each and every one.

Every project is unique, and we relish the chance to apply our expertise to design spaces and solutions that sound and perform like no place else.

Have a project or acoustical design problem that needs solving? Tell us about it. We love a good challenge.

Our services include:

  • Architectural acoustics
  • Interior design, architectural design, and space planning
  • Sound isolation
  • Room acoustics
  • Noise and vibration control
  • Home theater and critical listening environments
  • Media and presentation systems
  • Performance verification and testing

At the heart of any great design is a client’s passion. Nothing is more satisfying than creating a space that makes it possible for someone to realize their dreams.

– Russ Berger

Who We Are

RBDG is a talented group of professional acousticians, architects, designers, and project managers with combined backgrounds in architecture, electrical and mechanical engineering, acoustics, interior design, physics, music, recording engineering, and studio operations. The firm’s principals often are invited to guest lecture on acoustic-related subjects across the country, frequently contribute articles to industry journals and trade publications, and have been active on the board of many organizations, including the National Council of Acoustical Consultants, Middle Tennessee State University, Belmont University, University of Kansas, and Collin County Community College District.

We hope this site gives you a glimpse of our ability to bring innovative yet practical design to many different kinds of projects. Our clients find in RBDG a depth of experience, engineering objectivity, and enthusiasm in meeting their unique needs. It’s a combination that yields cost-effective solutions to real world problems. Let us know how we can do the same for you.

– Russ

Meet Our Team

What began nearly forty years ago as a one-man show has grown into a diverse team of experienced problem solvers. RBDG is a talented group of professional acousticians, architects, designers, and project managers with combined backgrounds in architecture, electrical and mechanical engineering, acoustics, interior design, physics, music, recording engineering, and studio operations.

RUSS BERGER, FASA

MARK HORNSBY

RICHARD SCHRAG

MICHAEL KAPINUS

LEIGH HORNSBY

MICHAEL KAPINUS

LEIGH HORNSBY

Awards & Associations

Our work has been recognized with the following Awards:

tsa

Texas Society of Architects

Honor Award in recognition of Outstanding Architectural Design and Achievement
Honor Award in recognition of Outstanding Architectural Design and Achievement – Interior Architecture

tec

Technical Excellence & Creativity Foundation

Eight-time winner of Outstanding Institutional Achievement – Acoustics/Facility Design Company

cedia

Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association

Electronic Lifestyles Award – Best Media Room Overall Winner (Interior Designer)

SERVICES OFFERED

PROGRAMMING + NEEDS ASSESSMENT

No matter how large or small, every project begins with the same first step: we listen to you to understand your goals, and together we gather information about the project scope, technical requirements, budget, and schedule. A good architectural program is a roadmap for a project’s success.

SPACE PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURAL / INTERIOR DESIGN

In a technical facility, function and aesthetics must be perfectly matched, and having the right adjacencies, sightlines, and workflow are all essential. We develop drawings and specifications that are tailored to the way you want your spaces to look, feel, and perform, coupled with the kind of project management that’s needed to see it through.

SOUND ISOLATION

Making spaces quiet enough and free from extraneous disturbances means having the right kind of walls, ceilings, and floors to keep sound out (or, sometimes, to keep it in). We provide sound isolation details that maximize performance with an emphasis on making sure they can be built reliably and consistently.

TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN

For technical spaces to function properly, the equipment and control surfaces need a happy home, too, and that means having good cable management pathways, technical power and grounding systems, and adequate cooling. Operators should have comfortable seating and effective task lighting. We make it all work seamlessly.

PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION + ACOUSTICS TESTING

Results can be quantified. We perform tests to measure the integrity of the acoustical construction, commission monitoring systems, and tune and adjust the environment to make sure you’re getting maximum performance.

SITE ANALYSIS

Having the right site or existing building can be key to the success of a technical facility. We evaluate, predict, and test the impact of environmental noise, and review whether proposed sites or buildings are a good fit for your project.

ARCHITECTURAL ROOM ACOUSTICS

For some rooms, optimum room acoustics are all about the ability to capture the best recording or accurately monitor an audio mix. In other cases, it means having a space where you can comfortably carry on a conversation or be understood by all the participants in an audio or video teleconference. We determine the volume, geometry, and finishes that create the right acoustical environment.

NOISE + VIBRATION CONTROL

Acoustically sensitive spaces need to have Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems and other mechanical equipment that don’t create excessive noise and vibration. We make sure your rooms are comfortable and quiet.

MEDIA + PRESENTATION SYSTEMS

A great audio and video experience starts with having sightlines, immersive audio, an appropriate visual image size, and seating layouts that all work together. We coordinate our work with the architect and systems integrator to ensure spaces are memorable, both visually and acoustically.

COMMUNITY INTERFACE

Involvement with professional journals, trade publications, industry organizations, and schools at every level is important in helping the public understand the value of good architectural and acoustical design. We provide technical writing, seminars, and workshops to let others know what we believe in.

Our PROCESS

1 – Programming
We meet with you, the client, and uncover what you need. What are your goals? What are your expectations? Are the budget constraints? Is the proposed site feasible based on your needs?
2 – Schematic Design
We take the programming and concept designs and translate them into architectural and spatial designs. Schematic design documents can include structural schematic drawings, floor plans, site analysis and the project summary or narrative.
3 – Design Development
This is where we solve all the problems. How are we going to isolate the space? How are we going to make the layout work? How are we going to get this space built at a certain budget? How does the design meet the proposed timeline?
4 – Construction Documents
We produce a final set of specifications and documents that instruct and guide a contractor on what to build and how to build it.
5 – Bidding Phase
Now that we know what we’re building, we put the project out to bid to find the right person or team of people to get the job done on time and under budget.
6 – Construction Administration
Building acoustically correct spaces is a very critical business. We stay involved every step of the way to make sure everyone on the conduction team is paying attention to the details.