Sculpting the Soundscape: Creating Refuge Spaces for Neurodivergent People
Disciplines
Architectural History and Criticism | Landscape Architecture | Other Architecture | Urban, Community and Regional Planning
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Loud honking, steady movement, constant chatter, and tumult. Cities are full of sound. For most people, this background noise fades away. Yet, for many neurodiverse individuals, these sounds can become overstimulating, exhausting, if not stifling. Clinical research has shown how a controlled environment can improve the neurodivergent experiences, especially when space filters sound in nuanced ways. However, such controlled spaces are not typically in reach in urban settings. How can we insert spaces for relief in urban life beyond clinical facilities? This design research explores the capacities of architectural interventions to create spaces for neurodivergent refuge. The challenge is that architecture is often approached as something to be seen and occupied. This research explores how we can intentionally sculpt sound to create restorative, yet sensory-inclusive retreats within urban environments.This work begins with the idea that sound can be designed. By using methods such as shaping geometries, surfaces, and natural buffers, architecture can turn noise into calm. This is achieved by diffusing, absorbing, reflecting, and reframing sound into a rhythm. This study focuses on how these spatial and acoustic strategies can help regulate sensory input, giving users a sense of calm, control, and grounding within the intensity of the city.This proposal develops a network of small, neuro-inclusive spaces that sit within the city while providing separation from it. In an effort to shift sound by creating transitions between intensity into quietness, techniques such as gravel paths, wood paths, water, and planted buffers will be used.This paper argues that architecture can act as an instrument for listening while also shaping how sound is perceived and felt. By reframing urban design through sound and sensory inclusion, this research imagines a city that doesn’t just make room for quiet but essentially learns how to listen.
Use of AI Disclaimer
no
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CACM – Architecture
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Ehsan Sheikholharam
Sculpting the Soundscape: Creating Refuge Spaces for Neurodivergent People
Loud honking, steady movement, constant chatter, and tumult. Cities are full of sound. For most people, this background noise fades away. Yet, for many neurodiverse individuals, these sounds can become overstimulating, exhausting, if not stifling. Clinical research has shown how a controlled environment can improve the neurodivergent experiences, especially when space filters sound in nuanced ways. However, such controlled spaces are not typically in reach in urban settings. How can we insert spaces for relief in urban life beyond clinical facilities? This design research explores the capacities of architectural interventions to create spaces for neurodivergent refuge. The challenge is that architecture is often approached as something to be seen and occupied. This research explores how we can intentionally sculpt sound to create restorative, yet sensory-inclusive retreats within urban environments.This work begins with the idea that sound can be designed. By using methods such as shaping geometries, surfaces, and natural buffers, architecture can turn noise into calm. This is achieved by diffusing, absorbing, reflecting, and reframing sound into a rhythm. This study focuses on how these spatial and acoustic strategies can help regulate sensory input, giving users a sense of calm, control, and grounding within the intensity of the city.This proposal develops a network of small, neuro-inclusive spaces that sit within the city while providing separation from it. In an effort to shift sound by creating transitions between intensity into quietness, techniques such as gravel paths, wood paths, water, and planted buffers will be used.This paper argues that architecture can act as an instrument for listening while also shaping how sound is perceived and felt. By reframing urban design through sound and sensory inclusion, this research imagines a city that doesn’t just make room for quiet but essentially learns how to listen.