Michael Fowler. Architectures of Sound

Birkhäuser, 2017. — 240 p. — ISBN 9783035613292, 303561329X.Architects are used to designing visually. In order to expand their basic design tools, this book explores the interactions between sound, space, hearing, and architecture. To this end, the author uses contemporary and historic buildings and projects, but also fictional, philosophical, and theoretical approaches – the idea is not only to define sound as a source, but also as an instrument of architectural space. By introducing a metatheory of «critical hearing», designers are able to acoustically test their projects and contribute to their design with auditive input, already at the design stage.Introduction
Prelude
Sounding City
An Architecture of the Ear
Organs of hearing
Membranes
Vibrations
On Auditory Scale
Boxes
Dimensions
Continuum
Dumb Holes and the Acoustic Horizon
Grid
Form
Materiality
Program
Texture
Structure
Hole
The Taxonomy of a Meta-theory
Sound-space
Aural architecture
Soundscape
Critical listening
Re-hearing Icons of Architecture I
Notation
Tuning
Pause/Play
Ad infinitum
Re-hearing Icons of Architecture II.
Continuous
Above
Discontinuous
Acoustic Futures
Sound house
Sound plan
Order
«Like Quail Clucking...»
Postlude
Wang’s Dream
Bibliography
Picture Credits