SOUNDING ARCHITECTURE: INTER-DISCIPLINARY STUDIO AT HKU

Abstract

SOUNDING ARCHITECTURE, IS THE FIRST COLLABORATIVE TEACHING DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG (HKU), INTRODUCED IN FALL 2016. IN THIS PAPER WE PRESENT CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE STUDIO AFTER A FINAL PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF ALL PROJECTS. THE REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED WITH DEMONSTRATIONS BY GROUPS OF STUDENTS SUPERVISED BY DIFFERENT LECTURER, IN EACH CASE FOCUSING ON A DIFFERENT STRATEGY TO CREATE A CONNECTION BETWEEN SOUND, MUSIC, ACOUSTICS, SPACE AND ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN. THERE WAS AN ASSUMPTION THAT THE CORE WORKING PROCESS WOULD HAVE TO INCLUDE THE DESIGN OF A NEW MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, WHICH IN SOME CASES BECAME THE FINAL DELIVERABLE OF THE STUDIO AND IN OTHER CASES A STEP IN A PROCESS THAT LEADS TO A DIFFERENT OUTCOME (SUCH AS AN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, A PERFORMANCE OR SOCIAL EXPERIMENT). ONE OTHER RELEVANT ASPECT WAS THAT DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY WAS USED IN THE DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF THE PHYSICAL INSTRUMENTS' PROTOTYPES, BUT IN VERY FEW CASES, IT WAS USED IN THE ACTUAL GENERATION OR ENHANCEMENT OF SOUND, WITH THE INSTRUMENTS RELYING ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY IN ACOUSTIC AND MECHANICAL SOUND.