InAcoustics is a multidisciplinary project and consulting company, exclusively dedicated to Acoustical Engineering and Vibrations.
Founded in 2004, InAcoustics operates within the diverse areas of Acoustics and Vibrations, providing design, consultancy, testing, research and technological development services, covering the construction, arts and media, industry, transportation, and technology markets.
Originating in Maia, in the district of Porto, Portugal, InAcoustics has throughout the years expanded its area of operation and currently keeps a permanent presence also in Lisbon (Portugal), São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), which has led to the development of studies, consulting and projects not only in Portugal, but worldwide, namely in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Germany, USA, Brazil, Norway, Angola, Mozambique, Cameroon and Qatar.
The diversity of projects InAcoustics is involved in, from concert halls, theatres, hospitals, museums, schools and industries, to product development support for specialized applications, provides a multitude of experiences that combine to create the strength of the services it provides.
These experiences are a result from the ability to adapt to different markets, teams, legal frameworks and alternative construction methods, but mostly the outcome of our customers’ trust and the sense of security we are able to give them. This trust allows us an ongoing collaboration with both national and international reference architects, renowned engineering companies and industries of all kinds.
To respond efficiently to the challenges posed by customers, InAcoustics relies on the deep knowledge of its team of professionals on the acoustic and vibratory phenomena, from both theoretical and experimental points of view.
We believe that our high degree of specialization is our greatest ally, providing us with the advantages widely recognized by our customers. The focus on updating our knowledge, together with constant experimentation, are the tools that allow us to be more efficient in meeting our goals.
From the simplest to the most complex projects, we strive to find the best solutions for the specific needs of each one in accordance with the requirements and expectations of our customers, seeking to create excellence in sound environments, improving or preserving the sonic landscapes that surround us.
Since 2007, we have our Quality Management System certified by APCER/IQNET, fulfilling the requirements of the NP EN ISO 9001:2015 standard for the development of projects and Engineering studies in the fields of Acoustics and Vibrations.
Every year we invest in the renewal of this certification, demonstrating our commitment to the continuous improvement of the performance and quality standard that we offer our clients, employees and all stakeholders involved in our work.
Being at the forefront of technology is a necessary condition for success in the competitive world we live in. It is for this reason that InAcoustics invests in calculation tools and measurement equipment which, together with the knowledge of the physical phenomena involved, ensure reliable results that support the decision-making process.
For the different project stages, InAcoustics relies on commercially available numerical simulation software, such as SONarchitect for building acoustics, INSUL and ZORBA for materials’ numerical characterization, CADNA-A for environmental noise and CATT-Acoustic and DDA for room acoustics and electroacoustics analysis, among others.
Additionally, when there’s a need for more complex acoustic and vibratory phenomena simulation, we develop our own proprietary software that allows us to find those answers that are more difficult to get and require greater computational effort.
Our experimental activity is crucial for the validation process of our calculation methods and verification of building solutions quality.
For this purpose, we use equipment that spans from omnidirectional sound sources, percussion sources, CESVA accelerometers and sound level meter, BWSA-tech microphones and impedance tube, NTI analysers and WinMLS software.
A solid, qualified and demanding team is fundamental for the assessment of needs and to find the most efficient solutions to each specific problem.
Dealing with Acoustics of a space requires a particular sensitivity to the demands and needs of users, within varying degrees of complexity.
Apart from the technical demands of each project, it is essential to understand the more detailed requirements of musicians on a stage and the audience in a concert hall, as well as the comfort needs of a restaurant’s clients or a factory’s employees.
It is for this very reason that all technical members at InAcoustics have a solid background in Acoustics and Music, with Engineering or Architecture as the basis, which grants them a particular sensitivity to the influence that sound has on human life and a deep knowledge of the most appropriate ways of dealing with it.
Octávio Inácio
PhD \ Director
Born in Portugal in 1974, Octávio Inácio completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto in 1997. His musical career as a classical guitarist and the academic degree in engineering led him to the Masters in Acoustics and Vibration (MSc in Sound & Vibration Studies), by the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) at the University of Southampton, England, where he completed his doctorate, also in Acoustics and Vibrations, in 2009. In 1999 he began working as an acoustic consultant for a market leader in the field of acoustics in Portugal. Two years later he was invited to teach Musical and Architectural Acoustics at the Superior School for Music and Performing Arts of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, where he currently holds the position of Area Coordinator for Music Production and Technologies and Director of the Musical Acoustics Laboratory. His continued activity as an independent acoustic consultant led him to establish InAcoustics in 2004. He completed his Doctorate (PhD in Sound and Vibration Studies) at the University of Southampton in 2009 with a thesis on the nonlinear dynamics of friction musical instruments. In the same year he obtained the title of Specialist Engineer in Acoustics by the Portuguese Engineers Guild, and is currently a member of the respective committee specializing in Acoustic Engineering. In 2012 he is awarded the title of specialist in Engineering and Related Techniques (Acoustic) by the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon and Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco. He has authored and co-authored more than 40 articles and papers published in scientific journals and conferences of minutes in various areas of acoustics, remaining active in scientific research in Musical and architectural acoustics.
Filipe Martins
Project Department \ Software
Born in Lamego, Portugal, in the late 70s. Together with his parents, he joined the statistics of coastal migration during the mid-80s. After spending some time at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto in the 90s, he decided that the passion for Music and Acoustics was stronger than the attraction for engines and screws, and graduated in Music Production and Technologies at the Superior School for Music and Performing Arts of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto. He has been with InAcoustics since its inception. With four years of training in acoustics, he specialized in numerical modelling of the acoustic behaviour of confined spaces, using CATT-Acoustic, INSUL, ZORBA and SONarchitect. In addition to his qualifications as a sound engineer, guitarist and IT expert, he integrates Photography as a big part of his life since he was born.
André McDade
Project Department
Born in Porto in 1977 into a family with a tradition in piano education, he began his musical training at age 6, by the hand of his grandmother. He was admitted to the Music Conservatory of Porto at age 9 where, in 2001, he completed the Piano Complementary Diploma. He also studied singing at the Music Conservatory of Porto and Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, having done research work in Musical Acoustics, in the search for new materials for musical instruments’ construction. He joined InAcoustics in 2007 as a project technician. He participated in various training activities in Building Acoustics, having specialized in ventilation and air-conditioning noise control and modelling of sound propagation in CADNA-A software.
Sílvia Vilela
Project Department
Born in Porto in 1983. After completion of the Degree in Civil Engineering - Civil Constructions specialty, from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, she finished her Masters in 2008 with a thesis about church acoustics, specifically evaluating objective acoustic parameters in rehabilitated cloisters for use as interior spaces. She undertook various training courses in the field of Building Acoustics and Thermal Engineering, among others, and participated in numerous building acoustic engineering projects while at one of the largest Engineering companies in Portugal. In addition to her training in Engineering, considering her preference for planning, optimization under a multidisciplinary perspective, she concluded the Graduate Diploma in Operations Management at the Porto Business School - UP. Alongside the professional activity, she has been practicing several sports from an early age. She took office at InAcoustics in early 2014, developing studies around the suitable sound insulation constructive solutions for each project, in an interdisciplinary aspect between the various specialties of Civil Engineering, as well as facilities and equipment noise control in buildings.
Tatiana Teixeira
Project & Quality Department
Born in Porto in the early 90s, her interest in "the point where the pressure changes" goes back to her childhood, as she has always been an enthusiast for communication and music in its most diverse genres. While studying at FEUP, her connection to music was enhanced, when she learned how to play doublebass in the Female Musical Band and became doublebass leader in the band during 2 years. She finished the Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering, with a dissertation on the "Perceived Urban Noise in the City of Oporto", a study that involved 440 face-to-face surveys along with the realization of noise measurements. This dissertation was prized with an Honorable Mention of the Portuguese Acoustic Society in 2017-2018. She also attended several courses in areas of interest such as Digital Marketing, Waste Management, Environmental Legislation, Photography and Quality Management. The latter is also the department she is currently responsible for at InAcoustics.
Daniel José
Project Department
Born in Montijo in 1990, Daniel José found his interest in music and sound manipulation during his youth. After a period at the Institute Superior of Engineering in Lisbon studying Computer Engineering, he completed is degree in Music Technologies at the Superior School Music of the Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon, where he strengthened his interest in Electroacoustic and Signal Processing. In 2019, Daniel earned a Research Grant under the project “Pedestrians behaviour analysis according to simulated urbans environments and their incorporation in risk modeling”, by the University of Minho, where he developed a software for the calculation of acoustic and psychoacoustic indicators. Daniel José maintains his interest in music and works as a Sound Designer and Composer on several projects. He has been working with InAcoustics since 2016.
António Dias
Project Department
Born in 1961, António Dias is an integral part of the InAcoustics project team. With over 25 years of experience in the area of Acoustics, he is currently a senior member of the Portuguese Society of Engineers, and Coordinator of the Specialisation in Acoustic Engineering promoted by this institution. Throughout his professional career, he was responsible for the elaboration of acoustic conditioning projects in the field of Architectural Acoustics and vibrations and noise control projects for various types of equipment, in hotels, schools, auditoriums, hospitals, housing buildings, among others. In previous positions, he served as Technical Director of several companies. In January 2014, he became an independent designer and consultant in Building Acoustics and Concert Hall Acoustics, Equipment / Industrial Noise Control and Environmental Acoustics, joining InAcoustics in 2022.
José Inácio
Finance Administrator
Born in Portugal in 1945, José Inácio made his professional career at Atlas Copco Portugal, having collaborated with other compressed air industry companies. He attended various training courses in Finance, Accounting and Quality Management and after his retirement, joined his son, Octávio Inácio, as an associate of InAcoustics where he is responsible for the Administrative and Financial Department.
Sara Sousa
Marketing Department \ Assistant Director
Born in Portugal in 1994, Sara Sousa is graduated in Marketing at the Institute of Accounting and Administration of Porto (ISCAP). In 2016, after completing her studies, she undertook an one year Internship that was a result of a partnership between the Polytechnic of Porto (P.PORTO) and the Academic Federation of Porto (FAP). She had her second professional experience at InAcoustics in June 2018, where she holds the position of Marketing technician and Assistant director.
The first time I sang in the auditorium of the Music Conservatory of Porto it was in special circumstances. Besides having to perform an extremely difficult repertoire, I had had a recital in the Theater of S. Luiz in Lisbon the day before. I felt my body truly tired. When I began to vocalize in the auditorium, I immediately felt a tremendous relief, it was as if part of the fatigue had dissipated in space; My voice had found there like a safe haven, a bubble of air where to lay gently. There are concert halls that oblige the artist to multiply his effort, since music is the result of a complex process, and, in the worst case scenarios even anti-natural. In contrast, there are rooms that multiply the will of the artist to be an artist, the music being the result of his simple and natural breathing. In this state, natural (and graceful), space seems to have the gift of listening to the musician's breathing and it even seems to breathe with the musician. The auditorium of the Music Conservatory of Porto is one of those rooms that shelters and embraces everything that breathes, precisely because there, in the sound body of the room, singing is already singing, music is already music, and everything starts before you start.
Ana Maria Pinto
Soprano