The Sound-Frameworks survey revealed a wealth of insight. It demonstrated that instead of addressing sound as a standalone parameter, linking sound with other dimensions of the public realm allows practitioners to identify the value of working with sound in the context of their own skill and objectives. Because there are a plurality of approaches to working with sound and to identifying what constitutes ‘the public realm’, it is necessary to promote diverse methods for working with (and through) sound in the design of the public realm as opposed to a singular approach. Equally, sound-related objectives can be introduced within every stage of the urban design process, including strategic definition, preparation and briefing, concept design, spatial coordination, technical design, manufacturing and construction, handover and use. To support a plurality of approaches for working with sound in the public realm, the Sound-Frameworks best-practice guidelines are presented as a dynamic database of ‘cues’ extracted from the archive of Sound-Frameworks survey sessions and open-format interviews. The database will grow as more cues are distilled from the archive. An instance of the database is implemented in the ‘Sequencer’ section of the Sound-Frameworks design tool. The database can also be accessed at the link below, which displays random groupings of cues extracted from the archive.
Sound-Frameworks Best Practice Database
The best-practice guidelines produced generated via the Sound-Frameworks database are intended to produce a plurality of approaches, particularly when implemented through the perspective of different practitioners.
The cues that populate the database are extracted from conversations focused on practice, and on specific projects, sites and publics. They present transferrable tactics that can be mapped onto new scenarios and adapted to support emerging objectives.
The Sound-Frameworks best-practice database is an active tool. Contact Sound-Frameworks’ project lead Sven Anderson to discuss how it might contribute to your own projects or research.