Integration of Acoustics into Architectural Design

Dear Colleagues,

Can we "listen" to buildings? 

While architecture does not produce sounds, it interacts with sound in ways that are similar to how it interacts with light. Just as we perceive light reflected and absorbed by surfaces, we also notice how sound is reflected, absorbed, or reverberated within spaces, giving buildings a unique auditory character. 

This interaction between sound and architecture is explored through the science of acoustics, a field derived from the Greek term "Akoustikos" (Ακουστικός), which comes from the root word "Akoe" (Ακοή), meaning "hearing".  As defined by Bruce Lindsey, acoustics is a multidisciplinary field that encompasses a wide range of topics, including musical acoustics, vibration and dynamics, electroacoustics and signal processing, aeroacoustics, archaeoacoustics, underwater acoustics, noise pollution, bioacoustics, psychoacoustics, and environmental and building/architectural acoustics. 

Architectural acoustics specifically focuses on how a building's design, volume, and materials influence its acoustic environment, including strategies for isolating unwanted sound and amplifying desired sounds in specific areas. Unlike other fields of acoustics, architectural acoustics emphasizes design choices based on scientific principles, balancing them with practical factors such as financial constraints and the preferences of building occupants. These elements work together to create acoustically optimized spaces, balancing scientific theory with the art and engineering of architecture.

The structure of this Special Issue highlights the essential dialog between architects and acousticians, emphasizing that acoustics are integral to architectural design. The Editorial Team will draw on their firsthand experience on projects such as the Athens Concert Hall, where acoustic adjustments reshaped the original design, such as adding lateral balconies to narrow the hall and incorporating its iconic articulated diffusive form. Similarly, at the New Acropolis Museum, absorptive perforations were added to the concrete walls to control reverberation. Both examples demonstrate how acoustics influence form and materiality in architecture.

Given the aforementioned contextual framework, we aim to curate a specialized compendium that moves beyond the domains that are conventionally addressed, such as technocratic dynamics and hyper-analytical methodologies of acoustic phenomena. Instead, we will focus on the tangible realm of architectural construction, elucidating the manner in which an architect’s design process is meticulously sculpted by the phenomenology of human perception. We hope that this discussion will underscore the intrinsically anthropocentric dimension of acoustic science, with particular emphasis on the following themes:

• The sensation and perception of sound in building design;
• Psychoacoustics: A contemporary paradigm in the advancement of building acoustics;
• The dissemination of the scientific processes behind concert hall design and the perceived acoustic experience of users;
• The variation  between pure numerical results and pragmatic perceived nuisance reduction in applied sound insulation problems;
• Case studies focusing on applied examples of architectural design elements formed and influenced by acoustic needs;
• The role of acoustics in adaptive reuse projects: Investigating the challenges and opportunities that come with retrofitting existing listed and preserved buildings for modern acoustic needs;
• Acoustic design in educational environments catering to children with special needs;
• Technical and financial challenges encountered in integrating sustainability certification programs;
• Architectural technology and acoustic construction: Bridging architectural concepts and construction challenges;
• Architectural acoustics and project budgets: Case studies and applied examples;
• The incorporation of acoustic design in the curricula of architectural schools.

Dr. Miltiadis Katsaros
Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Serraos
Dr. Ioannis Timagenis
Guest Editors

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• architectural acoustics
• sound insulation
• concert hall design
• integration
• psychoacoustics
• human perception
• adaptive reuse