Exploring Sound Qualities in Architectural Design
In this assignment, I studied the profile of two rooms using appropriate terminology to describe their acoustic features.
1. Alumni Lounge, ETHZ Hönggeberg
The Alumni is a bar/lounge area in the centre of campus. It has constant ambient sound with music, people, pool balls clacking, and coffee being made. For that reason, the roof is made of noise treatment panels. Nevertheless, the volume is rather loud, with a live ambience comprising various sounds.
Specific acoustic events:
- music
- chatting
- people moving
- coffee machine (both the whistling milk heating and the buzzing coffee extracting)
- pool table and ball clacking
- chairs and tables moving
The bar consists of a front space, with windows all around and a somewhat organic shape. It also has a central rectangular-shaped space, comprising on one side of the bar and windows on the other. Finally, it has a backspace in a circular shape. These three spaces are separated by a set of 3-4 steps.
The acoustic signature of the space can be described as live and boomy. The sounds are mixed, giving a muddy feeling to the voices just a few meters away from you. The loudness of the room and the unbalanced sounds give it, however, a sort of chaotic harmony that one might enjoy while drinking a beer.
2. My appartment, Zürich
My apartment is on a street perpendicular to Langstrasse in Zürich. Due to its location, it has constant ambient sound coming from the outside. In this 14m2 space, having the window open or closed has a massive impact on the acoustics, with 90% of the outside noises being either removed or considerably reduced when the window is closed. The recording has the window slightly open.
Specific acoustic events:
- Chatting
- Cars
- Buses
- Birds
The acoustic signature of the space can be described as calm and quiet when the window is closed, with very muddy and quiet sound signatures coming from the outside. However, when the window is open, my bedroom’s acoustic signature can be considered live, loud and boomy. The loudness of the sounds gives it a distinct urban ambience, like one might expect in a city centre.
