Material shapes sound, controlling urban acoustics using digital tectonics

The concept of enhancing cognitive spatial experiences in urban environments has always been a tempting idea for designers and architects who desire to reach this notion through the context of multi-functional and hybrid spaces and providing comfortable micro-climatic conditions [۱]. Urban environments have the tendency of being noise polluted and contain noise disintegration that affects human activity, human perception and cognitive experience [۲]; some phenomena which architects have endeavoured to control using acoustic shells and surfaces. Previous researches have mostly focused on form finding of acoustically absorbent or diffusive shells to improve spatial user experiences, neglecting material tectonics. Acoustic diffusive or absorbent surfaces used in urban environments follow simple forms and shapes and researches done to this day mainly apply this simplicity due to fabrication and economical limitations. Thanks to emerging technologies computational design, fabrication and manufacturing of materials, architects nowadays are facing less limitations during the design and construction process [۳]. This paper focuses on the material tectonics and diffusive surfaces and uses a kinetic pavilion designed for the Politechnique university of Milan as the case study. The pavilion provides shadow for students to study and relax and from a simple canopy, it becomes an acoustic shell by rotating around one axis to host open air music or cultural events. The form is optimized using Genetic Algorithm to maximize the average received diffused sound from different bandwidths on a specified rectangular space in front of the pavilion. Through controlling material tectonics, the global and local effects of acoustic diffusive surfaces on human experience in urban spaces is controlled. Computational design tools allowed the integration of complex yet optimized forms to control materialization of the project. Genesis of emergent urban spaces, acoustically enhanced, shows a significant potential of achieving new meanings through intelligent use of computational aided design tools and materialization.

Keywords:

digital tectonics , urban perception , ray tracing method , acoustic optimization