When two different restaurants share one space, attention to acoustical design is paramount. In Kent, CT, the dining destination Ore Hill & Swyft called on Criterion Acoustics (CA) to assure sonic separation between dual establishments under one roof.

Swyft, a casual tavern-style pizza parlor is on one side, while the more intimate Ore Hill and its farm-focused tasting menu is on the other. Making things even more interesting for CA was the fact that both restaurants were built within a historic circa-1780’s post and beam farmhouse.

CA made sure that while all of the sound isolation was effective, no treatments negatively impacted the renovated building’s unique atmosphere or structure. “There are often weight limitations and historic preservation concerns in a project like this,” says Dave Kotch, President of Criterion Acoustics. “The architect and interior designer might want the old wooden beams to remain exposed, for example. So the acoustical treatments you select must strike a balance between sound absorption and appearance.”

To maintain the design vision at Ore Hill & Swyft, CA specified high-end materials that were equally effective and discreet. As a result, noise transfer between the two restaurants is minimized, allowing diners to focus fuly on the outstanding culinary creations of award-winning chef Joel Viehland.

“People have high expectations from the moment they enter Ore Hill & Swyft,” Kotch says. “If a place like this looks and feels amazing, but diners can’t have a conversation, that’s a problem. The acoustical design and sound isolation here are essential to a transporting experience.”