Anne van den Berg

Design of the Urban Fabric

Listen to the audio fragment about the project here.

Inward: The silence is within

This graduation thesis sheds light on a new perspective on the perception of sound in the urban landscape of Rotterdam and its influence on the psychological well-being of citizens. In this way, it stresses the urgency of noise pollution; the gap between urban design and psychology; and new layers to communicate with urban design, using sound as a means of storytelling.

The case of Rotterdam shows quality in vibrant areas but a lack of spaces to which to withdraw. In the design, I zoomed in and out, stating a multi-scalar approach with: 1. the re-design of the Lijnbaan Ensemble into a tranquil space, 2. the whisper route: the connection between existing calm spaces in Rotterdam Noord and 3. the strategy to connect vibrance and silence. This is translated back to a generic set of patterns on how to design with the perception of sound and to communicate with other disciplines.

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