Design Strategies IMPULSE - Sustainable Facades Vol 2

take similar measures when surveying the site alone.
Overall, applying the framework successfully did not
imply risks beyond general daily life activities with
some minor considerations.
iv. Industry Acceptance: The industry and market
relevance of the framework is promising, particularly
in sectors related to sustainability where façade
performance is highly valued. The industry‘s
growing focus on human-centered design and
comfortable urban environments enhances the
framework‘s appeal. However, the lack of regulations
in acoustics, especially outdoors, neglects the
possibility of buildings having a negative impact
on the environment (Krimm, 2018). Additionally,
The lack of tools and standardized methods to
assess the relationship between buildings and
soundscape contributes to the negligence of
façade influence. Overall, the framework has the
potential to fill this gap in design practices and
policy within the construction industry. However,
further demonstrations of the framework‘s benefits
in real-world projects will be needed to strengthen
its acceptance, as well as ongoing updates to keep
it aligned with evolving industry standards and
international regulations regarding and building
physics, acoustics, soundscape, and sustainability.
4. Discussion
4.1. Main outcomes
This paper presented the results of an academic
workshop where fourteen (n = 14) Master’s students
of the MID Façade Design program participated,
applying concepts of building physics along with
soundscape research for analyzing existing building
façades. The framework of façades and urban
soundscape (Balderrama et al., 2024) is composed
of four elements (façade, context, acoustic
environment, people), so students collected the
most essential information to analyze the potential
effects on the soundscape through the acoustic
environment or through the context.
The results show how students understood the
task aside from some minor limitations, and were
able to analyze the potential effects on the acoustic
environment (reflection; absorption; emission) and
possible effects on the soundscape (e.g. perceived
loudness, preference of sound sources, effects
of vegetation). Then, students provided feedback
regarding the compatibility of the workshop with the
educational content of the program.
The main conclusion of the study is that it is feasible to
integrate soundscape criteria into façade education
by using the framework of façades and urban
soundscape. Student workshops, as an academic
exercise, can provide participants of multiple
disciplines with the essential information they need
to develop an understanding of the potential effects
of façades on urban acoustic comfort. This knowhow
could be useful from the early design stages
to detail design, as well as for analyzing existing
buildings.
4.2. Recommendations
This iteration of the workshop followed the plan
of starting with a group soundwalk followed by
an introductory lecture and announcing the
assignment. Then, student groups conducted
the analysis over two months. This strategy led
to reaching the learning objectives successfully.
However, dedicating more time to the theoretical
concepts beyond the introductory lecture only could
improve the quality of the outcomes.
4.3. Limitations
This research was intended to carry out an academic
exercise with a small group of students who were
also participants of the soundwalk. It is assumed
that the accuracy of the soundscape assessment
is not highly reliable due to the low number of
participants (ISO 12913 recommends a minimum
of 20 people). Nevertheless, the results with a low
number of participants are still useful to gather data
to kickstart the academic activity.
4.4. Ethics approval
This research is part of the author‘s ongoing
doctoral thesis „Façades and Urban Soundscape“
and has been reviewed and approved by the Human
Research Ethics Committee of TU Delft.
5.Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the Master‘s students
of the MID Façade Design program who took part in
the soundwalk and the workshop.
6. References
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descriptors and a conceptual framework for
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Aletta, F.; Xiao, J. What are the Current Priorities
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Balderrama, A., Luna Navarro, A., Kang, J. (2024).
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ANNEX – Posters presented by five groups of
students of the MID Façade Design program.
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