Michael Mack
Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Architecture
Biography
Michael is a PhD Candidate at the Melbourne School of Design. As well as holding a Master of Architecture and previously working in practice, Michael was a classically trained violinist and performed professionally in orchestras and ensembles. His research reflects his training as an architect and musician, focusing on architectural design methods incorporating acoustic design considerations. Michael is also a tutor in architecture and has variously taught, developed content, and coordinated subjects in the Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Design programs at The University of Melbourne.
Thesis
Architectural acoustic workflows: Incorporating subjective measurement into the architectural design process
Whether struggling to decipher colleagues in inadequate meeting rooms, contending with the intrusive grumble of adjacent traffic during a morning coffee and chat, or having dinner in a candle-lit restaurant where it seems like you can hear everyone's conversations but your own, everyone has had their fair share of acoustic challenges. It is likely that not only was the acoustic fault overlooked, but the designers had not considered acoustic performance to begin with. These problems are not just present in schools, offices, and restaurants but extend to the diversity of spaces in the built environment designed without acoustic performance in mind.
This research project investigates architectural acoustics and its integration into the architectural design process. In acoustics, listening is a critical way of assessing a space's acoustic performance, and software tools enable acousticians to simulate and listen to the acoustic conditions of spaces. Acousticians utilise these highly accurate tools to communicate acoustic design decisions to clients. However, the trajectory of tool development and integration with architectural 3D modelling means these tools are becoming increasingly accessible. This presents a long-term opportunity for architectural designers to access acoustic design tools more easily. However, this raises the following questions. Could architects draw upon their intuitive experiences of listening to design, and would this be a more accessible way to introduce architects to acoustic design?
Repeatable blind testing in acoustics has shown that even untrained listeners have relatively remarkable consistency when assessing acoustic qualities. This consistency can be improved with training and is referred to as subjective measurement by acoustician Floyd Toole. The primary aim of this research project is to develop and test new workflows that incorporate subjective measurement to provide feedback on acoustic quality and creatively drive the architectural design process. The project will also link to architectural education by providing more accessible ways to teach and incorporate acoustic design, improving acoustic knowledge for future architects.