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Virtual Environments
Published in Julie A. Jacko, The Human–Computer Interaction Handbook, 2012
Kay M. Stanney, Joseph V. Cohn
Whether using headphones or loudspeaker arrays, spatial-ization is only one component of simulating a sound field, and developers should carefully consider the level of fidelity required by the application when choosing an audio rendering system. Properly synthesizing a virtual soundscape requires modeling the full propagation path of sound, including source model, spreading loss, air absorption, material absorption, and material reflection. Accurately modeling the full propagation path in real time is beyond the capabilities of current computers. However, there is promising research in the use of GPU processors to achieve real-time rates using ray casting methods (Jedrzejewski 2004).
Patterns of Daylight Illumination
Published in Lisa Heschong, Visual Delight in Architecture, 2021
Thus, a key question in evaluating noise is ‘what is meaningful?’ What one person considers to be noise, another may find meaningful. Acousticians have developed a concept of an environmental ‘soundscape’ which describes all elements of the acoustic environment, including human-generated sounds, mechanical and natural sources. But crucially, the concept also includes the listener’s perception of the sounds, which adds the aspect of meaning, or saliency, to understanding the elements of a soundscape. Similarly, the visual environment might be understood as a ‘view-scape,’ including everything within view, but also identifying the visual information of greatest interest.
Sounds in the city: bridging the gaps from research to practice through soundscape workshops
Published in Journal of Urban Design, 2020
Daniel Steele, Christine Kerrigan, Catherine Guastavino
An extensive body of academic literature on everyday sound perception has provided theoretical ground for a new multidisciplinary field of soundscape research that has potential implications for urban sound management by accounting for this sound-as-resource approach (Aletta, Kang, and Axelsson 2016a; Botteldooren et al. 2013, 2015; Dubois, Guastavino, and Raimbault 2006; Kang 2006; Schulte-Fortkamp and Voigt 2012). Soundscape is defined as the acoustic environment as perceived, experienced, and/or understood by people or society, in context (ISO 12913-1: 2014 2014). While noise policies traditionally focus on quantitative descriptions of noise in terms of sound pressure levels (measured using decibels), the soundscape approach requires a qualitative understanding of urban sound (taking into account the perception, experience, and understanding from the definition), as well as integrating sound management with other technical factors within urban design (e.g., choice of materials). Soundscape researchers have identified the importance of accounting for the interrelatedness of sound with these other factors (e.g., faster traffic is likely louder traffic; Kang et al. 2016). The soundscape design strategy (Bild et al. 2016a) describes the integration of this knowledge, derived largely from academic research, to urban design projects.
Listening to Japanese gardens II: expanding the soundscape action design tool
Published in Journal of Urban Design, 2020
Soundscape Actions in the third main category can also reduce the impact of noise through ‘Auditory masking’. Auditory masking is a common phenomenon in Japanese gardens, owing largely to the extensive use of streams, waterfalls, and other ‘Sounds of water’ that cover noise from the outside world, and/or shift focus from it. Influences from other senses should also be considered. For instance, auditory masking is closely related to ‘Visual masking’, where the focus is shifted by considering visual cues (the source producing the noise is hidden from view, most typically behind a layer of vegetation). For optimal effect, masking strategies should be combined with measures to reduce noise levels. Such combinations are encouraged in the Soundscape Action design tool through its division in three main categories.
Soundscape revisited
Published in Journal of Urban Design, 2020
In 2008, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) formed a working group to develop the first international standard dedicated to soundscape, ISO 12913. Part 1 of the standard was published in August 2014. It defines the term ‘soundscape’ as ‘acoustic environment as perceived or experienced and/or understood by a person or people, in context’ (ISO 2014). It also provides a conceptual framework, distinguishing the acoustic environment – as a physical phenomenon – from the soundscape – as a perceptual construct. The definition was inspired by the World Soundscape Project, and by the European Landscape Convention (Council of Europe 2000) that defines ‘landscape’ in similar terms.