Thorburn Associates (TA) celebrates twenty-five years of service. As an engineering firm made up of both sensologists and technologists, TA has worked on a variety of projects – over 2600 in 25 years.Acoustic and lighting designs affect the senses and how someone feels within a space; audiovisual, structured cabling, and security designs are technology-oriented and require attention to detail as well as current knowledge of the industry and where it is headed.
“Our projects are located in a variety of market sectors” states Lisa Thorburn, President and co-founder of Thorburn Associates. “These include Corporate, Educational, Industrial, Worship, Leisure, Hospitality, Mixed-Use, Retail, Housing, Municipal, and Healthcare.”
Some of TA’s most memorable projects include:
Sound isolation for a residential property on Lombard Street in San Francisco, dubbed the world’s crookedest street.
Audio system design for the Night Lights Spectacular at Hershey Park in Hershey Pennsylvania, the first time a large loudspeaker array was hung vertically to help keep the noise for spilling over into the adjacent neighborhood.
Lighting design for Baron’s Jewelers Legacy Showroom.
Room acoustics for the Smithsonian American History Flag Hall which contains the original Star Spangled Banner flag (above photo)
Video system design for the Madison County Courthouse, a historic Jeffersonian courtroom where TA also provided acoustic design that did not impact the historic nature of the space.
Vibration isolation for an MRI suite at the Santa Clara Kaiser Medical Office Building where TA also provided acoustic and technology consulting.
Distance Learning system design for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Pharmacy which linked professors at UNC-CH with remote students at Elizabeth City State University.
Sound masking and Public Address system design for over a million square feet combination office/ manufacturing facility for Hewlett Packard in Cupertino, California.
Security system design for the Forsyth County Detention Center which had to remain operational throughout the complete renovation of the PLC Door Control System, the Guard Tour System and the Closed Circuit Television System.
Mechanical Noise Control for a new roof top HVAC system for the Ritz Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida.
Acoustical study for the Space Shuttle Blast Berm at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Data telecom design for the Wilmington Convention Center in North Carolina where TA also provided acoustics and audiovisual system design for this LEED silver designed facility.
Thorburn Associates works across a variety of market segments. “Part of the fun for us is taking what we know and learn from one market segment and applying it to others.” states Steve Thorburn, Principal and Director of Engineering. “Keep an eye out for other project highlights this year.”
“With five offices located across the United States, TA’s longevity and the work we’ve produced is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the people involved,” said Lisa Thorburn. “We are still moving forward, forging a path that sets us apart. We are, at our roots, traditionalists with a good dose of our mid-west practical upbringing that demands high standards. Our engineers and staff are energetic and inject vitality and creativity to our projects. It’s a wonderful mix that works beautifully.”
Thorburn Associates – Through The Years
1992 Thorburn Associates founded—April 1
1993 Lisa Thorburn named “Rookie of the Year” by the Construction Specification Institute
1993 Completes first international project in Taiwan
1994 Moves to first office on Grove Way in Castro Valley, CA
1995 Opens Los Angeles office
1995 Receives “Best New Service” from International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAPPA) for Binauralization(tm) – a computer program that models how a space will sound before it is built.
1996 Steve Thorburn receives the Professional Education and Training Committee Award from the International Communications Industries Association for work on the first digital theater showcased at InfoCOMM
1998 Opens North Carolina office
1999 First Design firm to become an “ICIA Gold Certified Member Company”
2000 Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) THEA Outstanding Achievement Awards for: Universal Studios “Amazing Adventures of Spiderman”; Universal Studios “Islands of Adventure”; and Columbus Center of Science and Technology (COSI) audio, video and control system engineering services and acoustical design
2001 Moves to current location on Baker Road in Castro Valley, CA
2002 Paramount’s King’s Island “Tomb Raider: The Ride” receives Themed Entertainment Association THEA Outstanding Achievement Award
2002 Moves North Carolina office to Morrisville (near Raleigh-Durham)
2003 Published first e-newsletter after 11 years of paper editions.
2003 Paradise Park project receives Golden Token Award as the best new/renovated family entertainment center by the International Association for the Leisure & Entertainment Industries.
2004 Cesar E. Chavez Education Center in Oakland, California receives Savings By Design Energy Efficiency Integration Award
2005 Federated Department Stores (Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s) received the “VM+SD/Peter Glen Retailer of the Year” award
2007 Mountain View Senior Center project receives Building of America Award
2007 San Francisco GSA Federal Building receives Northern California Region’s Most Important New Construction/Renovation project
2007 Plaza Apartments project receives AIA Architecture and Excellence Award
2008 Relocates Raleigh-Durham office to LEED-designed space in Morrisville
2010 Adds Lighting Design services
2010 Opens office in Orlando, Florida
2011 Steve Thorburn awarded “Educator of the Year” by the International Communications Industries Association (ICIA)/InfoCOMM
2011 Opens office in Charlotte, North Carolina
2011 “China 2020: How China’s Growth and Future Will Impact Business Development in the A/E/C Industry” published by Lisa A Thorburn for SMPS.
2011 Inc. magazine ranked Thorburn Associates in the top 5000 on its fifth annual Inc. 500|5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.
2014 After 20 years teaching at InfoCOMM and over 40,000 student hours, Steve Thorburn presents his last InfoCOMM educational session.
2015 “What Will Your Learning Space Look Like in 2018?” published in AV Network magazine.
2016 “The Exceptional Communication Experience – It’s More Than Just Technology!” White paper published by Steven J. Thorburn.
2017 Thorburn Associates Celebrates 25th Anniversary.
