INSTRUMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to study the audible impacts of architecture, and explore how music and sound can enhance learning.

Modern culture is known to be ocular-centric, relying heavily on vision. Aesthetically, visual beauty often overshadows aural beauty. Pragmatically, visual cues often influence our behavior, understanding, and navigation more than auditory cues. Due to this, the implications of sound often go unnoticed. Even undesirable sound, or noise, is tolerated on a daily basis. This becomes an issue when noise starts to influence users psychologically, physiologically, behaviorally, and even cognitively.

Architecture has become more visually-dominant in the modern era, so architecture itself contributes to this visual distraction. How can architecture address these visual biases and promote aural stimulation? How can architecture manipulate sound so it is celebrated rather than tolerated? This thesis exploits sound to increase aural spatial awareness, and as a byproduct, enhances learning