One of the phrases that got my attention in this week’s reading was the idea/discipline of “acoustic design”. According to Murray Schafer acoustic design “should function alongside any form of urban development and architectural work.” Mainly because the design of the built environment has “radical implications for the acoustic environment: population density, noise pollution, the erasure of ‘sound marks’*.”

It is quite amazing how a lot of the time sound or acoustics of a room isn’t taken into account. Especially one of the 5 senses that allow us to ‘be’ in the environment and experience the space.

I remember last year hearing about one of the new rooms in building 80, the cinema, was built with acoustics in mind. Since it is mainly used as a cinema screening room the acoustics of the room were taken into account and the lecturer should be able to stand at the front and not need a microphone.

* Sound marks refer to “a community sound which is unique or possesses qualities which make it specially regarded or noticed by the people of that community.”