Embedding Acoustic Analysis in Landscape Architecture Design Processes: A Case Study of Munich Airport

Noise is the number two environmental health risk in Europe. With the majority of the world’s inhabitants residing in ever-growing cities, urban noise impacts an increasing number of people. Urban airports significantly contribute to urban noise, and their spatial effects far exceed their boundaries. While indoor acoustic mitigation in architecture is growingly addressed using parametric tools, there is limited research on mitigating noise with digital means through landscape and urban design. Moreover, there is a lack of methods for ameliorating urban noise through ground-forming. To address this, this paper contributes a novel method for integrating acoustic analysis in parametric landscape-forming. The method includes collecting on-line and on-site noise data, developing alternative landscape formations for mitigating noise, and evaluating design alternatives within a single digital design environment. This method was applied using research by design and examined on a case-study site adjacent to the Munich Airport. Three landform landscape designs for a park are developed, and their acoustic performance is compared. The results indicate the possibility of integrating acoustic considerations in landscape architecture, and the method provides a step-by-step guide for doing so. This capacity also promotes the long-term goal of increasing the environmental performance of urban grounds.