Acoustic Shadows

A building can shelter one place from a source of sound. A courtyard behind a substantial block may have a very different relationship to the road from the pavement in front. An acoustic shadow describes reduced exposure behind an obstacle, with the result depending on how sound reaches the position beyond it.

This gives the plan an opportunity to provide quieter places. The design begins with the source, the route sound can take and the location of the listener. Reflections, openings and the way sound bends around edges all matter. A partition that interrupts a view may need different construction or greater extent to provide useful acoustic shelter.

The intended activity gives that work a purpose. A place to read should be considered while neighbouring conversations and circulation are happening. A bedroom needs attention to the equipment and rooms around it as well as the street outside. Suitable separation can be valuable where activities compete, while absorption can help manage reflections within a room.

Acoustic shelter is therefore something to locate and resolve early. It can influence where a room is placed, which side of a building it faces and how its enclosure is detailed. Testing it during the activities it is meant to accommodate helps establish whether the quieter place is available when someone needs it.