Experiential design tools for acousticsi—A retrospective and look ahead at the use of sound and visualizations for transportation noise

Originally conceived and developed to inform the design of some of the world’s best arts and culture venues, over the past 10+ years, Arup SoundLab has also been used to create sound demonstrations that simulate and gauge response to environmental sound. Sound demonstrations combine aural and visual simulations to enable clients, designers, major stakeholders and the general public to experience and better understand sound. They provide robust objective information to support decision making and help shape better outcomes for all. The SoundLab has been used to inform the design of vertiport infrastructure; to assess annoyance and possible health impacts of novel noise sources; to inform local and international policy on noise; and to provide information on the early prototyping of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles. These applications will be described in this presentation, including recent simulations for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) and a human response study for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to provide insight into people’s response to AAM noise impacts. As AAM applications broaden, auralisation and visualisation processes are being developed to facilitate understanding of planning, permitting and design processes. The immersive experience provides information that is valuable to the various parties involved.