Speaker
Description
Prior research has shown that human-based sounds dominate healthcare waiting environments and are associated with negative perceptual qualities. Yet acoustic design interventions targeting soundscape quality remain limited. This study explores the effect of sound augmentation on soundscape perception in a hospital outpatient waiting area based on an in situ binaural recording using Odeon’s auralization tool. A treated condition incorporated simulated wall and ceiling absorption based on measured impulse responses. Five scenarios were constructed: IR0: original; IR1: with acoustical treatment; IR2: augmented with a bird sound; IR3: augmented with a water sound; and IR4: augmented with a music sound. The augmentation sounds were selected based on findings from a previous healthcare soundscape literature. Five experts evaluated all scenarios using the 79-item Turkish soundscape attribute set. Pleasantness and Eventfulness values were calculated using the loadings of a validated Turkish soundscape circumplex model to compare the perceptual effects of the intervention scenarios. Findings revealed that sound augmentation shifted soundscape perception toward more positive affective dimensions. While bird and water sounds showed the greatest perceptual improvement, music yielded comparatively weaker effects. This study is intended to inform further research involving laypeople and guide acoustic design interventions in outpatient healthcare settings.