A soundscape approach to exploring design strategies for acoustic comfort in modern public libraries: a case study of the Library of Birmingham

Taking the soundscape approach to a study of the Library of Birmingham, this paper explored acoustic comfort in modern public libraries and measured the quality of the perceived sound environment, focusing on the appropriateness of the spatial organisation to facilitate users’ activities of reading...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiao Jieling, Aletta Francesco
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2016-09-01
Series:Noise Mapping
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/noise.2016.3.issue-1/noise-2016-0018/noise-2016-0018.xml?format=INT
id doaj-e361cf7753a045d7a252078534027a6e
record_format Article
spelling doaj-e361cf7753a045d7a252078534027a6e2020-11-24T23:18:44ZengDe GruyterNoise Mapping2084-879X2016-09-013110.1515/noise-2016-0018noise-2016-0018A soundscape approach to exploring design strategies for acoustic comfort in modern public libraries: a case study of the Library of BirminghamXiao Jieling0Aletta Francesco1Birmingham City University Birmingham, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandResearch Associate, Ph.D. School of Architecture University of Sheffield, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandTaking the soundscape approach to a study of the Library of Birmingham, this paper explored acoustic comfort in modern public libraries and measured the quality of the perceived sound environment, focusing on the appropriateness of the spatial organisation to facilitate users’ activities of reading and writing. The research involved four groups of participants taking soundwalks which provided data at four main floors in the Library, identifying types of sounds, measuring sound pressure levels and evaluating the overall quality and appropriateness of perceived sound environment. A human sound dominated sound environment was found in the studied case. The overall soundscape quality varied among different levels and different functional spaces. However, the results showed that the overall soundscape quality of each floor varied and was not necessarily determined by the overall appropriateness and sound pressure level. The participants in the study were found influenced by their soundscape cognitions of spaces through visual and acoustic perceptions, as well as by their purposes of using the space. From these results, the layout of spaces is suggested as a determining factor of acoustic comfort, and design strategies were discussed to achieve acoustic comfort in modern public libraries.http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/noise.2016.3.issue-1/noise-2016-0018/noise-2016-0018.xml?format=INTAcoustic comfortopen-plan spaces modern public library soundscape soundwalk
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Xiao Jieling
Aletta Francesco
spellingShingle Xiao Jieling
Aletta Francesco
A soundscape approach to exploring design strategies for acoustic comfort in modern public libraries: a case study of the Library of Birmingham
Noise Mapping
Acoustic comfort
open-plan spaces
modern public library
soundscape
soundwalk
author_facet Xiao Jieling
Aletta Francesco
author_sort Xiao Jieling
title A soundscape approach to exploring design strategies for acoustic comfort in modern public libraries: a case study of the Library of Birmingham
title_short A soundscape approach to exploring design strategies for acoustic comfort in modern public libraries: a case study of the Library of Birmingham
title_full A soundscape approach to exploring design strategies for acoustic comfort in modern public libraries: a case study of the Library of Birmingham
title_fullStr A soundscape approach to exploring design strategies for acoustic comfort in modern public libraries: a case study of the Library of Birmingham
title_full_unstemmed A soundscape approach to exploring design strategies for acoustic comfort in modern public libraries: a case study of the Library of Birmingham
title_sort soundscape approach to exploring design strategies for acoustic comfort in modern public libraries: a case study of the library of birmingham
publisher De Gruyter
series Noise Mapping
issn 2084-879X
publishDate 2016-09-01
description Taking the soundscape approach to a study of the Library of Birmingham, this paper explored acoustic comfort in modern public libraries and measured the quality of the perceived sound environment, focusing on the appropriateness of the spatial organisation to facilitate users’ activities of reading and writing. The research involved four groups of participants taking soundwalks which provided data at four main floors in the Library, identifying types of sounds, measuring sound pressure levels and evaluating the overall quality and appropriateness of perceived sound environment. A human sound dominated sound environment was found in the studied case. The overall soundscape quality varied among different levels and different functional spaces. However, the results showed that the overall soundscape quality of each floor varied and was not necessarily determined by the overall appropriateness and sound pressure level. The participants in the study were found influenced by their soundscape cognitions of spaces through visual and acoustic perceptions, as well as by their purposes of using the space. From these results, the layout of spaces is suggested as a determining factor of acoustic comfort, and design strategies were discussed to achieve acoustic comfort in modern public libraries.
topic Acoustic comfort
open-plan spaces
modern public library
soundscape
soundwalk
url http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/noise.2016.3.issue-1/noise-2016-0018/noise-2016-0018.xml?format=INT
work_keys_str_mv AT xiaojieling asoundscapeapproachtoexploringdesignstrategiesforacousticcomfortinmodernpubliclibrariesacasestudyofthelibraryofbirmingham
AT alettafrancesco asoundscapeapproachtoexploringdesignstrategiesforacousticcomfortinmodernpubliclibrariesacasestudyofthelibraryofbirmingham
AT xiaojieling soundscapeapproachtoexploringdesignstrategiesforacousticcomfortinmodernpubliclibrariesacasestudyofthelibraryofbirmingham
AT alettafrancesco soundscapeapproachtoexploringdesignstrategiesforacousticcomfortinmodernpubliclibrariesacasestudyofthelibraryofbirmingham
_version_ 1725580342944858112