More than just a green facade: Vertical gardens for sound absorption and architectural acoustics

Michael Maks Davis, Maria Elena Perez, Martin Tenpierik, Francisco Ramirez

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volumeConference contributionScientificpeer-review

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Abstract

Noise can become uncomfortable for us in many situations both indoors and outdoors. External noise consists of activities (airplanes flying overhead, traffic on the road, etc.) that are either loud enough to be considered uncomfortable when outdoors, or are of an elevated volume to the extent that they infiltrate buildings at levels considered uncomfortable. In the case of internal uncomfortable noise, this can either stem from noisy activities that occur inside the building (people speaking loudly, printers, etc.), or when an unexpected sound suddenly permeates an area that has a very low level of background noise. The most common manner by which to mitigate excess noise is through the use of certain materials, which either insulate against noise passing through the material, or absorb the noise wavelengths. In the case of the latter, vertical gardens present themselves as not only an aesthetic element in architecture, but also as a potential acoustic control tool in building design. For this work 10 m2 of vertical garden substrate modules was tested in a full size reverberation chamber. The objective was to open the doors for vertical gardens to be used in architectural acoustic design.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of EURO-MED-SEC-1
Subtitle of host publicationInteraction between theory and practice in civil engineering and construction
EditorsRuveyda Komurlu, Asli Pelin Gurgun, Amarjit Singh, Siamak Yazdani
PublisherISEC Press
Pages1-6
Number of pages6
ISBN (Print)978-0-9960437-2-4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016
Event1st European and Mediterranean Structural Engineering and Construction Conference - Istanbul, Turkey
Duration: 24 May 201629 May 2016

Conference

Conference1st European and Mediterranean Structural Engineering and Construction Conference
Country/TerritoryTurkey
CityIstanbul
Period24/05/1629/05/16

Keywords

  • Green wall
  • Sustainable design
  • Architecture
  • Sound engineering

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