Some geometry which works well acoustically is not always practical, this is noticeable in the kitchen in my apartment 1 type. This type made it difficult to incorporate appliances and would be very hard to clean. My focus group noted cleanability as a key factor in design.
From this issue I also noticed that appliances and furniture would need to be factored into sound quality with some tolerance allowed. I think built in furniture would be a good idea as moved furniture was also mentioned as an issue by my focus group. Below are some examples of designed in furniture.
Another shared interest in my focus group was music, specifically in piano. I thought there was an interesting idea in this where piano keys or other musical items could be placed around the space to create simple acoustic references.
I also am aware that my spacial arrangement is not yet perfected and could definitely improve. It could be more adventurous shape wise and incorporate additional apartment types.
I hope to also research into what makes a space a good space acoustically. I will do this by observing real life spaces and documenting their characteristics. I plan to borrow a brainwave scanner and test how people relate to spaces. This technology will also allow me test at what level people recognise a different acoustic quality. It should also give me an insight into the psychological relationship between acoustic response and emotion.
