The Venue at Thunder Valley, a state-of-the-art entertainment center, was developed to provide a more refined indoor experience for patrons while addressing an unusual challenge: noise from a nearby railroad. The Venue, located in Lincoln, Calif., was built as part of the Thunder Valley Casino Resort and replaced an outdoor amphitheater. The railroad, which has been a fixture of the town since its industrial roots, created significant acoustic interference, particularly during performances. The project’s architects, OTJ, were keen to preserve the venue’s acoustics, leading them to specify specialized acoustical smoke vents to mitigate the sound impact from the trains.

BILCO played a crucial role in this effort by providing six acoustical smoke vents that featured industry-high sound insulation ratings, OITC-46 and STC-50, which are designed to reduce noise transmission between indoor and outdoor spaces. These vents not only performed their primary function of reducing noise, but also have fire safety features. The BILCO vents spring open upon the melting of a fusible link, allowing smoke, heat and gas to escape, decreasing the possibility of smoke inhalation to building occupants.