Nina Hällgren

architecture, artistic research, urban sound planning and design
Sweden (residence) °1977
research interests: architecture, artistic research, urban sonic space, Urban acoustic planning, soundscape, sound
affiliation: Royal Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and the Built Environment / Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design
en

I am an architect involved in architectural/artistic research on the qualitative dimension of urban sonic space.

The point of departure for the research is the question of  how it is possible to encircle and communicate various sonic qualities of urban acoustic space and the specific agents that produces these, to a larger extent than is currently applied by professional practices engaged in the phsyical creation of urban environments, like architecs, urban planners, acusticians and other environmental experts who today foremost deals with quantiatively related tools and strategies of description and operation.
Sound as a mediator of social, spatial and temporal qualities has the ability to deepen our understanding for existing urban spaces/trajectories/areas, and illuminate their divers and maybe contrasting meanings and values in the urban mesh. The assumption is that experiencing, observing  and evaluating various qualities of our surrounding everyday environment from several interacting angles and through different means of description and represenation, it is possible to reveal relations, connections and qualities that would otherwise be neglected or ignored.

Expanding current quantitative methods for working with sound in the urban environment through the addition of an enhanced focus on the qualitative dimension, is essential in order to work with urban sonic space from an integrative and creative perspective.

 

For further information please visit:

www.kth.se


 

research

research expositions

  • DESIGNING WITH URBAN SOUND (last edited: 2019) author(s): Nina Hällgren This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
    The Licentiate thesis D E S I G N I N G W I T H U R B A N S O U N D - Exploring methods for qualitative sound analysis of the built environment, examines the constitution and qualitative characteristics of urban sonic space from a design-oriented and practice-based perspective. The act of lifting forth and illuminating the interaction between architecture, the creation of sound and a sonic experience aims to examine and develop useful tools and methods for the representation, communication and analysis of the exterior sonic environment in complex architectural spaces. The objective is to generate theoretical and practical knowledge within the field of urban sound planning and design by showing examples of different and complementary ways of communicating and analyzing sound than those which are commonly recognized. Sound in the city is an intricate phenomenon that affects us at several levels, both health-wise and socially. At the same time, sound has cultural and functional implications by mediating important information connected to identity, security and spatial orientation. Unfortunately, current quantitative methods are not sufficient for describing, analyzing and managing urban sounds in regard to this complexity. Complementary methods of representation and analysis need to be developed that will bring out important information - gathering it and making it visual - about the constitution, character and quality of urban sonic space that is possible to utilize alongside today’s calculation and measurement-based methods within such areas as architecture and urban planning practices. The licentiate thesis has its foundation in the analogue and well-recognized tool-box of the architect, such as various forms of documentation and sketching techniques, mapping, inventory and site-analysis, etc., when exploring tools and strategies for the communication and analysis of the exterior urban sound environment along the long and busy street Hornsgatan in Stockholm. In addition to exploring various methods for capturing and describing the qualitative constitution of the exterior sonic environment and some of the basic factors affecting it, this thesis sets forth a general model for qualitative sound analysis of a problematic, yet well-utilized, urban sonic space. The licentiate thesis exists as both a print and a digital version that complement each other and thus should be read, listened to and scrutinized in parallel.
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