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 FEATURED ARTICLE  Teaching Architectural Acoustics to Students of Various Disciplines Daniel Butko    Introduction The words architectural and acoustics perhaps conjure thoughts of buildings or spaces with specific acoustic require- ments (such as music halls, recording studios, auditoriums, and libraries) and/or the design professionals who have spent their careers focused on the topic. However, this is just the beginning, and this article explains the methods of introduc- ing students of various backgrounds and areas of study to the aural aspects of various occupancies and forms of architec- ture through discussions, lessons, assignments, field trips, and projects. Have you ever noticed that the word aural is literally in architectural? The actual beginning and end of the word spell out the entire point of this article: the integration of the aural in architecture and the built environment. I ask students, “Are all aural?” Say it slowly, and the play on words begins a discussion of building types that require acoustical attention. The compound answer becomes evident: all aspects of the built environment have an aural component. Sound waves are all around us; they come in many shapes (frequency) and sizes (amplitude) and are felt as much as heard by the human body through vibrations in even those without the ability to hear. Although the qualities of sound waves vary, there are sources of sound, paths in which the sound waves travel, and receivers who then receive, pro- cess, and/or record the information. Most people tend to anecdotally quantify sound, and its often-undesirable counterpart noise, based on feelings or preferences. That’s one way to begin; listen and be receptive of how vibrations through air and materials make you feel. Observations, coupled with quantifiable data, influence designers toward supportive acoustic design concepts. Architecture is more than meets the eye, especially when it meets the ear. This article outlines the introduction and application of acoustical vocabulary, lessons, and criteria through the fol- lowing educational opportunities: (1) assigned required courses; (2) elective and independent-study courses; and (3) research, practice, and service-learning projects. Why Architecture? To discuss architectural acoustics, there should be some rela- tionship between what an architect does and how someone begins a career in architecture. We all likely know that archi- tects design buildings. The scope of responsibilities of the word design relating to the health, safety, and welfare of the building occupants is usually not as glamorous as the aesthetics or land- mark status associated with some projects. With requirements for training and licensure in place around the world, the days of being a self-professed architect/master builder are gone. Aside from numerous states now offering alternate/alternative paths to licensure that do not always include a formal postsecondary education, a high percentage of eventually licensed architects opt for at least a Bachelor of Architecture degree that typically spans 5 years (10 semesters), followed by an internship in a firm and a multiphase Architectural Registration Exam (ARE). On the other hand, at the time this article was written, it is believed only the state of Oregon offers a license for acoustical engi- neers, so the path toward acoustician/acoustical consultant is less regulatory, but the knowledge and experience are still vital in the shaping of acoustically successful architecture. It is the intersection of these career paths that sets the stage of how to teach acoustics housed within an accredited architecture pro- gram to various disciplines and emphasizes the importance of the art and science in the profession. Prospective architecture students may be influenced through various forms of media, rendering architecture through visual means and text, and often find the formal training different from preconceived expectations. An understanding of and appreciation for architecture is often the result of experiencing it through occupant senses, including the aural environment created when materials are erected and a form is created. Those of us fortunate ©2022 Acoustical Society of America. All rights reserved. 24 Acoustics Today • Summer 2022 | Volume 18, issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1121/AT.2022.18.2.24 


































































































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