SOUNDSCAPE STUDIES
"Olinda Falls"
"...there are scientific reports that a completely silent world can have harmful effects, because of sensory deprivation. Thus, both too little sound and too much sound can be harmful. For this reason, people should have the right to decide for themselves the quality of the acoustical environment they live in."
World Health Organization - Guidelines for Community Noise
The concept of soundscape studies has existed since the 1960’s beginning in Canada at the Simon Fraser University, led by R. Murray Schafer. It is a discipline studying the relationship between human beings and their environment through the medium of sound. A similar term - acoustic ecology - is the study of sounds in relationship to life and society. Soundscape, on the other hand, is an environment of sound with emphasis on the way it is perceived and understood by the individual. When developing soundscapes, they can be real environments or abstract constructions.
Another prominent research base for soundscape studies is CRESSON in France. It is established within the National School of Architecture, creating an inter-disciplinary environment of architects, engineers, and urban planners, among others.
This project explores a number of methods used to understand the Olinda Falls located within a reserve near the Dandenong Ranges. The aim of this study was to explore a natural site, and present the sonic qualities that make it unique. Through this aim, we can begin to identify why the environment is aurally different compared with urban environments, and perhaps more generally preferred.
design process
This site was selected as it is located roughly 50kms from the CBD, away from a great amount of residential and commercial buildings. This provides an even more hi-fi environment to study, with isolation from many public activities.
The ecology of the site plays a very important role in the soundscape within. Due to it’s location, plenty of different wildlife are situated throughout the environment. These become prominent signals throughout the the soundscape. The structure and climate of the plants and falls also alter how the soundscape is perceived.
google maps location
After the site was selected, observation began. This process involved critical listening and sound walking, writing notes, listing sound signals, and sketching the space. Sound walking is a key research practice utilised within this project. Throughout the walk, you are exploring and developing your own awareness and perception of the environment. Listening is prioritised over seeing in this context, while exploring our relationship between moving, listening, and touching.
The artefacts created from the observation were then analysed, looking at soundscape effects that were occurring and the experiential nature of the place.
Documentation includes what you hear, where you hear it, and when you hear it.
I returned to the site to conduct further research, and gather more information for my documentation. I recorded sounds with a Zoom Recorder and analysed them through a spectrogram. Visually I documented the space through photography and sonic mind maps. Finally, I conducted informal interviews to gather an outside perspective on the site.
