Building With Sound: Integrating The Science Of Acoustics With The Poetry Of Space
Open Access
Author:
Clippinger, Cory Oliver
Area of Honors:
Architecture
Degree:
Bachelor of Architecture
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Mehrdad Hadighi, Thesis Supervisor Scott W Wing, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
architecture music sound light shade shadow design tool acoustics
Abstract:
High performance architecture — architecture that not only serves its functional purpose, but also improves the human experience in space — requires that the acoustical environment be designed to the same exacting level as aesthetic and technical components. Acoustics too easily succumb to value-engineering and are lost in the overall architectural design, often to the detriment of the overall spatial experience.
By exploring the science behind the perception of sound within architecture, and by determining how sound can mold and shape the architectural environment, design goals and methods can be developed which will fully integrate acoustics into the overall architecture. Sound will become a fundamental aspect of the design.
As light, shade, and shadow provide tools for the architect to sculpt space and create an architectural experience, so too can sound. Motion, time, and mood permit sound to become an intangible building material.