New Century Media

Looking out from the studios at New Century Media’s radio stations in Seattle, you can often see sailboats cutting through the waters of beautiful Puget Sound. You might overlook, literally, the railroad switching yard that runs right by the building. That’s because the trains are inaudible inside the studios, thanks to acoustical design by Russ Berger Design Group.

When The Ackerley Media Group decided to move its operations, including its radio broadcasting component New Century Media, to new offices near downtown Seattle, the relocation involved a building that was already under construction, with a mere 11′-4″ from one floor to the next, less than twelve months to completion, and a nearly constant rumble of freight engines just outside.

RBDG was responsible for all the technical spaces within the 35,000 square-foot facility — from layout, sound isolation, and air conditioning concepts to acoustical finishes and interior design. New Century Media’s 95.7 The Beat KBTB-FM, Fox Sports Radio 850 KHHO-AM, KUBE 93 FM and Sports Radio 950 KJR-AM offer listeners everything from sports talk to contemporary music. Given the different formats, proper sound isolation between rooms was essential, and each of the acoustically sensitive rooms was designed with floating floors and completely isolated walls and ceilings.