Brigitte Schulte-Fortkamp

Using the soundscape approach to develop a public space in Berlin ‐ perception and evaluation

In Berlin the Soundscape Project “Nauener Platz” is carried out to rebuild a difficult public space into a space which is dominated by social freedom. A designed space related procedure is developed following the soundscape approach, which will provide acoustical indicators and parameters describing urban and other outdoor living areas with respect to physical conditions and their relevance for life. The measurement of outdoor sound quality will take into consideration not only the sound pressure but also the characteristics of the sounds which lead to specific human reactions, both positive and negative: calmness, inspiration, annoyance, discontentment, anxiety, etc. and the pathogenic effects. Qualitative evaluations through soundwalks and open interviews have been conducted introducing the new experts. Framework and procedure will be discussed. The Soundscape Project is a module of the Project “Nauener Platz ‐ Remodelling for Young and Old”in the framework of the research program “Experimental Housing ...

Why soundscape? The new approach to “measure” quality of life

It is now about 15 years that Soundscape came into the field of community noise and sound quality. The Soundscape approach has provided essential knowledge for the demanding tasks which are required for the design and planning of sustainable environments to support to wellbeing, health, and quality of life, respectively. The multidimensional Soundscape approach puts emphasis on the way the acoustic environment is perceived, experienced and understood by the individual and by society (ISO/TC 43/SC 1/WG 54). Moreover, it accounts for peoples concerns and integrates the exposed people as experts. The process of tuning of noise pollution or sound design with respect to the expertise of peoples mind is related to the strategy of triangulation of interdisciplinary data. Moreover, the Soundscape approach provides the frame work to integrate contextual and subjective variables to improve the respective Soundscape with regard to peoples expertise. This paper will highlight the process of Soundscape and its appl...

The acoustical diary as an innovative tool in soundscape evaluation

A new field study evaluating soundscapes investigates closely the reactions of traffic noise with a particular regard to the street surface. The combination of methods with different sensibilities for the subject’s process of perceiving and evaluating noise in such ambiences is necessary for a reliable and valid analysis and interpretation of data. Acoustic measurements are carried out in critical segments of the street as well as in the respective apartments of the inhabitants, which are questioned in narrative interviews. The acoustic measurements are taken simultaneously in the apartment and on the street. Apartments were selected which issue into the street; outside measurements are performed in front of the buildings on the sidewalk. During the interviews in the apartments the occurring noises are registered by noisebook. As a rule the measurement spot within the apartment is the area in which the interviewed person mostly resides, when he/she takes repose. Further analysis points out the importance of an extended evaluation with an acoustical diary which combines technical and sociological measurement procedures. Performance of the entire data collection process and first results will be discussed.

Noise and noise effects on humans and its meaning for measurement decisions

To discuss advances in measurements of noise and noise effects on animals and humans is challenging. Usually, it is physics that dominates the approach in the studies about noise and noise effects on humans; indicators in use are based on A‐weighted sound pressure levels. By extension, psycho‐acoustics has contributed to understanding the limitations of the A‐weighted sound level in dB as a metric criterion or a criterion for measurements. In addition, noise annoyance appears to be differently perceived, expressed, and experienced in different places. For this reason, supplementing the acoustics and psycho‐acoustics approaches by a more qualitative approach, as in soundscape research, seems to be appropriate in order to consider more the perception, the way people experience noise, and relate this to their well‐being. Research shows that perceived and expressed annoyance are explained not only by acoustics, but also by other factors, and their relationships can explain the links between populations and th...

The daily rhythm of soundscape

With respect to people’s minds, soundscapes can be considered as dynamic systems characterized by the time‐dependent occurrence of particular sound events embedded in specific environments. Therefore, an adequate evaluation of environmental noise will reflect the continually varying acoustical scenery and its specific perception. An acoustical diary shall provide information about the daily routine and subjectively perceived sound exposure of residents. It relies on cognitive and emotional aspects of perceiving and evaluating sounds. It gives insight into evaluating processes and their contextual parameters because of its spontaneous character. It includes and refers to long‐term acoustic measurements. Simultaneous measurements for elaborate acoustical analyses will be taken outside the homes regarding the moments of essential sound events. The aim is to collect information about the daily rhythm regarding acoustic events, whereby the focus also should be placed on sound events that are well accepted to d...

Children’s quality of life in a noisy world

On 30 April 2003 during the International Forum Noise Awareness Day European experts from the fields of medicine, acoustics, sociology, psychology, city planning, and traffic regulation led the current discussion on the risks of noise pollution for children at the Institute of Technical Acoustics at the Berlin Technical University, Germany. Studies probing into the negative effects of noise exposure upon the psychic, cognitive, and emotional functions of children are of a quite recent date. Even the quality of life of children as auto‐directed experience and functionality is only now starting to get recognized; of special interest are the changes in self‐awareness, performance, and health. The Forum focused upon methodological reflections for the collection of data as well as studies regarding the living conditions of children under sound exposure from different perspectives. In this context the research of sound effects has taken initial tentative steps to break away from the tried‐and‐true procedures of...

(Re‐)constructed reality and context—When sound quality becomes soundscape

In the interior of a vehicle sound quality is a brandname. Bi‐aurale measurement and analysis technology is more or less standard, but there are still no general standards and parameters for sound quality. Evaluation of noises is highly sensitive to context, but testing procedures that can include this realization are exceedingly rare. Soundscapes are specific constellations of a general noise volume in clearly defined ambiences; they even can characterize those ambiences and combine the daily recurrent patterns of sound multi‐factorial in the process of analysis. The evaluation of noise situations gets interactively modified by their significance for the general residential space. It is contingent upon the respective ponderation of acoustic and nonacoustic modifiers which in turn constitute the soundscape.

New approaches in soundscapes: About the triangulation of measurements.

A procedure is developed following the soundscape approach, which will provide acoustical indicators and parameters describing urban and other outdoor living areas with respect to physical conditions and their relevance for life. In particular, the contribution of important sources like traffic noise to the overall sound exposure and its influence on the evaluations by humans has to be determined. Moreover, the question is to which degree does a single source determine the soundscape of the environment with respect to the perception and evaluation? Qualitative evaluations have been conducted introducing the concept of new experts with respect to data triangulation.

Sound Quality Design as an Issue of Interactive Context

When sound quality has to be evaluated a number of difficulties arise. Although there are various attempts of evaluating it, there is no definitive approach which covers the diverse requirements with respect to subjective importance. Since the subjective evaluation will be influenced by different modifiers, the methods in question have to be adapted necessarily to the various objectives that are related to certain subjective as well as to physical, psycho-acoustic, and socio-acoustic variables. The evaluation of the perception of acoustic environments needs an interactive, integrating, transdisciplinary concept. What will to be discussed up front are contextual interdependencies, socio-acoustic, and psychological methods, the significance of the modifiers within the guided decision-making process as well as the importance of sensorial modifiers as they make up the foundation of the research process. In many studies focusing on sound quality the observation of context in general becomes an issue if the experimental setup or the instruction or even the respective stages of the experiment are regarded as contextual, i.e. sound evaluation or the evaluation of product-related sound quality always implies evaluation of lifestyles depending upon acceptance and therefore intimately related to the daily routine of the tested individual. evaluations of sounds are highly sensitive contextually, but at present there is no usage-oriented experimental instruction which sufficiently defines the contextual rapport within a given sound evaluation setup. the concept of sound quality evaluation needs to be broadened to integrate a subjective and psycho-social approach. a concept and procedure will be introduced for benchmarking and target sound development in context to appropriately evaluate the sound of the corporate identity introductionCopyright

The acoustical design of vehicles—a challenge for qualitative evaluation

Whenever the acoustical design of vehicles is explored, the crucial question about the appropriate method of evaluation arises. Research shows that not only acoustic but also non‐acoustic parameters have a major influence on the way sounds are evaluated. Therefore, new methods of evaluation have to be implemented. Methods are needed which give the opportunity to test the quality of the given ambience and to register the effects and evaluations in their functional interdependence as well as the influence of personal and contextual factors. Moreover, new methods have to give insight into processes of evaluation and their contextual parameters. In other words, the task of evaluating acoustical ambiences consists of designating a set of social, psychological, and cultural conditions which are important to determine particular individual and collective behavior, attitudes, and also emotions relative to the given ambience. However, no specific recommendations exist yet which comprise particular descriptions of ...