Balancing Outdoor and Indoor Soundscapes in a Warming Climate

The acoustic quality of living and working environments can affect health, well-being and quality of life of building occupants. Soundscape methodologies allow a comprehensive characterisation of acoustic perception by people in a specific context, thus guiding the design of built environments that are supportive, rather than not disturbing. However, the management of the indoor soundscape is strongly interrelated with that of the outdoor, urban soundscape, with building envelopes and ventilation openings being the main interface. A coherent integration between indoor and outdoor soundscapes will be increasingly urgent in the light of a warming climate, as positive urban soundscapes will be key for the successful implementation of passive cooling strategies in buildings. Building on the emerging concept of the indoor soundscape studies, this chapter will address the potential of a soundscape approach for the built environment to shape resilient cities, able to address the main global challenges posed by global warming.