Amazing acoustics doesn't have to look ugly. Beautiful sounds can be aesthetically pleasing to everyone ESPECIALLY for the occupants of a space who are creating, interacting or even living in that soundscape. Research has found that "the threshold for possible noise induced risk of myocardial infarction is established at a daytime emission level of 65dB(A)" That means we are at risk from your garden-variety heart attack every single day. Does anyone care?
Now, I'm not implying that just because we all live and work in spaces with a volume average of 65dB(A) we're all going to die from a heart attack, far from it. What I'm putting forward is that we can rectify existing spaces to not emit, or dampen emissions of above 65dB(A) by implementing smart material usage as a means of acoustic intervention.
Too often have we been immersed in negative sound spaces. This can mean anywhere from public waiting areas like tram stops or train stations to even classrooms. Bad sound spaces mean less positive activity and reaction from the people occupying it. Bad sound spaces also mean that people are actively trying to actively block out those negative sounds in any way possible (like headphones) and risk being cut off from the world at large. Hearing is a vital part of the key human senses. When you cut sound from an environment, you effectively stop stimuli that will inform you of your immediate situation, thus putting you at risk.
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