WORKHOP3·CRITICAL URBAN FUTURES SENSORIUM: SOUND

Media Architecture often focuses on creating solutions that trigger our visual sense. The perception we have about the urban environment is however influenced by factors that affect all our senses. In this workshop we will focus on our auditory sense and explore future possibilities of sound and media architecture.

Noise is seen as a major issue for discomfort and diseases in urban areas. Currently, more than half of the population is living in urbanised areas, which at the same time means that half of the population is affected by noise pollution, and new technological visions will likely increase noise pollution in urban areas. At the same time, sound can be seen as something very site-specific, something that describes the particular identity of a place, and can evoke feelings of belonging.

This friction will form the starting point of the full-day workshop, which will introduce participants to the principles of Critical and Speculative Design, and will focus specifically on media architecture and urban sound. Participants will be introduced to analytical and experimental tools and forms of practice that enhance a critical reflection about the present of smart city developments and its possible future impacts.
Please let us know in advance if you have any physical issues around participating in a guided walk.

Full attendance is required.
The workshop will be held in English.

The workshop is open to anyone interested in advancing their understanding of scenario techniques and speculative design and sound/noise. No specific knowledge of either media architecture or sound studies or speculative design is needed.

Vera Karina Gebhardt Fearns 
Vera Karina Gebhardt Fearns is a designer, lecturer and Doctoral Researcher in Management at Nova SBE, supervised by Professor Miguel Pina e Cunha. Her research is funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), and is an attempt to broaden the understanding of management to various aesthetic arenas. She is especially interested in how imaginaries and sensorial experiences affect management, and she currently investigates how organizations communicate foresight insights and how the form affects decision-making processes. Empirically, her research is based on qualitative methodology with practices of artistic research, with an interest in narrative and performative approaches and experimental representation formats.

Andreas Schmitt
Andreas Schmitt studied architecture and urban design at TU Darmstadt and TU Delft. He is a practicing architect and urban designer as well working as researcher in the academic sector. Andreas was the project leader of the Munich branch of the international research project ‘Better Airport Regions’ identifying best practices on regional and urban integration of international airports at TU München.  Currently he is focusing on his doctoral research ‘Smart Polycentric Airport Regions’. Due to this ongoing research he’s focusing on the noise perimeter and how noise can affect people’s life and shape the build landscape. He is also author of several articles of the book ‘The Noise Landscape’ which was published by 010 recently.

Lingyue KONG
Lingyue KONG, International Program Coordinator；School of Architecture, China Central Academy of Fine Arts；MSc in Buit Environment: Environmental Design&Engineering,  Faculty of Built Environment, School of Bartlett, University College of London, UK.