Aural Landscape Composing an Urban Park
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Date
2020-01-15
Authors
Gerstheimer, Geoffrey
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Waterloo
Abstract
As a culture, the Western World has placed a negative stigma on
noise, which has lead to the disregard of the urban soundscape. Researchers
have been studying and theorizing ways of understanding
the urban sound environment for many years, adding to the knowledge
of listening. This thesis aims as a whole to act as a general tool
to educate the public on the urban sound environment to aid in discriminate
listening. Building on existing research, studies and theories
on the urban sound environment it explores the cities inventory of
sound possibilities from a psychological, sociological and architectural
point of view and asks: what are the forms of constructed space that
shape the sound opportunities of our urban environment?
Based on a review of the literature of soundscapes, aural architecture
and sound waves and the exploration of precedents that explore
sound installations and transcoding, multidisciplinary experiments
were conducted involving sound, using quantitative tools such as
acoustical software, frequency spectrums, soundclips, physical models,
listening exercises, cymatics and mathematics. Findings from
the experiments demonstrated new relationships between the urban
sound environment and musical composition techniques. This resulted in a final design study of Washington Square Park
using a stochastic methodology from both an architect’s and composer’s
point of view, resulting in a synthesis of layering that demonstrates
the cultivation of previous research adding to the body of
knowledge of our urban sound environments. Further reflection is
done in the form of an essay on how sound research impacted the
author’s psychological and sociological view not only as a designer
but as a listener. This essay is a testimony to the significance of
shifting our culture’s aural behaviour and encouraging continued
research into our urban soundscapes.
Description
Keywords
Soundscape, Listening, Landscape, Urban Sound Environment, Aural Landscape, Urban, Sociological, Sonic Effect