Sonic effect on the appreciation of architectural aesthetics in architectural design projects

Abstract

Appreciation of visual aesthetics is always connected with the visual experience of art objects. Yet, as the human senses are all connected and work in a comprehensive complex way, there is always a need to investigate the relationship between the visual appreciation of visual arts and other senses. Sonic effects are among the influential factors in the appreciation of visual art works. Traditionally, birds were used to convey sonic effects on impressionist painters. Claude Monet, for example, has been well known for loving to paint as a bird was singing. With the availability of modern technology, it has been possible to add different types of sonic effects in the spaces of visual art exhibitions. The basic question here is to what extent the sonic media can affect the appreciation of visual art? This question gets more importance in the field of architecture where the visual experience is more livable and complex than other visual art products. This research represents an attempt to investigate the effect of sonic on the appreciation of architectural aesthetics of architectural design presentations. A group of architecture students were asked to evaluate the architectural aesthetics of an architectural design project with and without the presence of sonic effects. It was found that, the sonic effects have an impact on their appreciation of the architectural aesthetics of the project. This directs the attention to the importance of using sonic effects to aid the appreciation of aesthetics of architectural design projects by students, architects or the general public. It also highlights the need to consider sonic effects as a means to aid the education process in the architectural design studio.