Soundscape Assessment at a University Campus in Detmold, Germany

People in cities are often exposed to complex mixtures of sounds, some originating from nature along with some created by human activities like traffic noise, sounds of industrial machinery, or music. This research aimed to study how the acoustic environment of a university campus is perceived by people. The procedures for soundscape data collection and analysis were based on the ISO 12913 series. 30 volunteers divided into four groups participated in a “soundwalk” at the campus of the architecture school in Detmold, Germany, filling out questionnaires while sound measurements and recordings were being taken. After the soundwalk, the data from the questionnaires, sound measurements, recordings, pictures and videos were analyzed. The findings suggest that people’s perception of sound is susceptible to the context, as participants seemed to shift their preference according to the ongoing activities that drew attention, such as a construction site, sounds from children playing, music and groups of people. The results provide new evidence and insights about the acoustic environment and the soundscape of the university campus and can inform stakeholders to improve environmental quality.