Merritt College: Home of "The Singing Building"

After the completion of the Barbara Lee Center for Science and Allied Health at Merritt College, faculty, staff, and students started to notice a peculiar phenomenon. On windy days, the building makes what some have described as music or singing, causing people to stop and enjoy a moment before heading off to class or work.

Engineer for the Barbara Lee Building, Robert Johnson, explains what’s happening:

"You have a structure that's perforated. And with that wind passing through the holes at the same time, the velocity of the air causes a whistle. And when there're so many holes put together, it makes the sound." 

Clark/Sullivan Construction did not respond to our question as to whether this phenomenon was designed on purpose, or just a happy accident.

Katherine Rae Mondo