AMORPHOUS Towards a Sonic Architecture

Architecture practice maintains an ongoing interest in the relationship between space and sound. While the work of many architects has produced a wealth of knowledge about applying the rules of western musical arrangement to spatial design, emerging contemporary theories raise questions about the prioritisation of formal outcomes exemplified by this line of enquiry. The increasing validation of cross-disciplinary practice as a model for design research, and the development of virtual reality technologies, means that new explorations into the role of sound as a dimension of architectural experience are now possible. Therefore; As a critical response to the ongoing visual bias of architectural praxis, this body of research explores how an understanding of the relationship between architecture and sound may develop through design-led research undertakings. An open-ended design process engaging with a multitude of digital and analogue tools was used to investigate the nature of the relationship between sound and architecture. This design process was arranged into three sections. The first section - Seeking - explored practical design applications of theoretical ideas about the relationship between sound and architecture, examining the differences between designing with musical arrangement methods, and designing with sound as a spatial experience. The second section - Defining - considered the technical limitations and creative opportunities presented when using virtual reality as the primary design tools. The final section - Developing- built upon the outcomes of the first two sections, focusing on the design of a coherent outcome that presents the creative opportunities of designing with sound as the primary dimension of spatial experience. In summary, this thesis argues for a more broad perspective on the utilisation of sound in architecture design; shifting focus away from appropriating musical arrangement rules, aiming instead towards designing sound as a dimension of spatial experience.