In-situ co-creative soundscape augmentation with fountains: Balancing sound preference and road traffic noise masking in urban parks

Abstract

In this work, a co-creative in-situ methodology is presented augmenting the sonic environment of a highway noise dominated urban park through the incorporation of fountains. Pre-recorded water feature sounds were played with a flexible loudspeaker setup positioned at the pond’s bank. This simplified approach to fountain auralization enabled the integration of water feature sound scenarios with the actual traffic noise background during a representative moment in the park, at a design spot. In a first phase, the (pure) water sounds were evaluated by a consciously listening panel (N = 33, mainly consisting of nearby dwellers) at a high signal-to-noise ratio relative to the park’s background noise. The most preferred water feature sounds were identified and were further analyzed for their perceived affective quality using soundscape dimensional analysis. The second part of the listening experiment concentrated on the most favored fountain sounds in conjunction with the necessary aerators. This involved exploring various positioning scenarios in the pond by tuning the loudspeakers to predicted exposure levels. The most pleasant augmented soundscape for the park was shown to be a delicate balance between preference for specific fountain sounds and the reduction of road traffic audibility.