Integrating Auditory Perception into Architectural Education and Design

Abstract

This study extends the scope of architecture beyond visual perception by exploring the parallelism between visual and auditory experiences. It aims to examine the potential outcomes of integrating auditory elements into the design process. Investigating the relationship between auditory stimuli and architecture within the context of design language, the study adopts an experimental approach to explore various dimensions, such as the interaction between sound and architectural thinking and its influence on design processes. Through two-and three-dimensional abstractions of auditory compositions—processed as non-visual design inputs—the study seeks to enhance students' creative thinking capacities. In this context, it examines how variations in auditory tones and stylistic changes influence basic design exercises and architectural reflections. The research consists of an experimental study involving 14 students from the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, at Selcuk University. Over several weeks, students were exposed to two distinct auditory environments—one characterized by harmony and balance, the other by intensity and dynamism—and tasked with creating designs based on rhythm and structure. To strengthen the study and obtain more objective data, an additional phase was introduced, where the same participants were assigned a different design task—furniture design—following the same methodological approach. This allowed for a comparative analysis of how auditory influences extended across different design contexts. To analyze the relationship between auditory input and basic design, as well as its impact on architectural form, the collected data were systematically structured. The findings indicate that in two separate experiments conducted with the same participants, individuals produced softer lines and forms when exposed to more harmonious stimuli, whereas they preferred sharper, more rigid lines and forms when engaging with high-intensity auditory input. © 2025, Polish Mineral Engineering Society. All rights reserved.