Informed by the personal experience of being severely hard of hearing, this design research thesis explores the relationship between tangible architecture and the invisible composition of sound. While physical structures dictate movement, auditory stimuli also influence navigation and decision-making, yet architectural discourse often overlooks this sensory element. This thesis investigates how sound shapes spatial experience and perception.

Architecture is spatial information interpreted by an end user. To me, one of the most impactful types of information is audio, which is drastically underrepresented in the design field. Sound can dictate the movement and everyday decisions of humans just as strongly as physical barriers and tangible architectural interventions can. To design for something so personal and subjective is to create a space that resonates with individuals instead of populations, creating meaningful memories and endless possible experiences.

A series of design research experiments and tests were executed in order to explore these ideas in more depth. These short projects offered invaluable insight, perspective, and information to build off of. Sketches, 3D models, abstracted systems, vocabulary sets, and experiential conditions all helped construct a foundation for the thesis.

The research culminates in a spatial instrument designed to manipulate and filter sound through dynamic, adjustable components. This instrument offers inhabitable and interactive auditory experience for researchers, performers, and visitors alike. By emphasizing sound as a fundamental design element at a variety of scales, this thesis advocates for a more intentional focus on a multisensory approach to architecture, enriching human experience through auditory exploration. This design intervention is a branch off of an ever-expanding body of work and research that can and will be continued indefinitely. Redefining what it means to design for the human experience has the potential to shape the next direction of architectural discourse in the coming years, as emerging technologies offer more tools for design intervention according to different parameters.