Her research presentation, titled “Architectural Harmony: An Investigation into the Impact of Music Proportions in Architecture on Human Emotions using Sound as a Medium”, explored how spaces affect multisensorial perception. — aligning with CEPT’s emphasis on innovative and cross-disciplinary inquiry.
Abstract:
ARCHITECTURAL HARMONY
An Investigation into the music proportions in architecture on human emotions using sound as a medium
The concept of Harmony was created through musical tones that sounded well together, represented mathematically as epimoric (n+1/n; 2⁄1, 3⁄2, 4⁄3, etc.) and multiple (mn/n; 2⁄1, 3⁄1,4÷1, etc.) ratios by Pythagoreans. Vitruvius adopted these ratios into architecture, and later, they were followed till the 18th century as architectural proportions. Despite their origin in music, these ratios were never theorised using sound as a medium in buildings. The connection with music in architecture was always considered symbolic. Using sound, we may rediscover harmony as a profound emotional connection between buildings and humans using neuroscientific/physiological methods. Humans might feel peace or pleasure if music proportions are used in measurements of internal rooms, as harmonic resonance frequencies persist for longer durations in those rooms. I propose a series of four experiments to study the effects of harmony on humans: 1. An objective acoustic resonance & dominant frequency study between sound and space 2. An improved acoustic study in rooms with music proportions 3. Pilot- Harmonic acoustic study on human physiology in prototype rooms using music proportions, and 4. Final study — Harmonic acoustic study on human physiology in prototype rooms with music proportions. These experiments, I argue, would help determine the emotional effects of music proportions in buildings on human physiology, such as heart rate, HRV, skin conductance, and blood pressure, similar to the effects of listening to classical music.
This poster addresses step 1 of the whole study. To understand the effect of harmonic resonance in spaces on the human body, it is important to first determine whether harmonic resonance is present in the spaces with certain music proportions. If it is present, how do we determine the fundamental frequency of a 3‑dimensional architectural space? What architectural features, i.e., metrics like form, proportion, volume, material, floor area, and elements like niches, doors, windows, columns, floor, ceiling, or any other existing elements, etc., define the fundamental and its overtones? In general, on a string, the fundamental tone is the one with the lowest frequency and the loudest tone that is heard. Also in musical instruments like plate bells or tubes, the fundamental frequency play a major role in determining the tone and the human experience. The fundamental is calculated using a formula for sound propagation (i.e., Frequency (f) = speed of sound in air/2 X length). Because architectural spaces are complex, and we cannot play them as instruments, We conducted this preliminary study to determine the fundamental of the cuboidal architectural spaces playing sounds in the spaces. It was conducted in 7 cuboidal rooms in Auroville, India, that tested for impulse responses with two neutral sounds and auralization with seven sounds (human and musical) using single-time play and the Alvin Lucier methods to obtain the dominant frequency (loudest sound). The sounds were played using two speakers placed at 1⁄3 and 2⁄3 positions on the width line, cutting the room length in half and recorded using a recorder placed in the centre of the room. The results showed that spaces built using music proportions have harmonic resonance frequencies, and the fundamental frequency is not the loudest frequency that is heard. We call the loudest frequency the dominant frequency for the sake of this study. The dominant frequency is dependent on the volumetric diagonal of the space. It is in the higher octaves and harmonic to the fundamental frequency that is obtained by the formula of propagation of sound in air. The dominant frequency is directly proportional to the dimension of the volumetric diagonal unlike the fundamental frequency which is inversely proportional. Total absorption because of various materials plays a significant role in defining the dominant frequency and spectrum of frequencies, but despite the change in 15% of material in one room, the dominant frequency remained constant while the higher frequencies changed. This gave the scope for future study.
Pooja acknowledged the invaluable guidance of her supervisors — Dr. Niyati Naik, Dr. Tiziana Proietti, and Dr. Nisheeth Srivastava — and extended her gratitude to the Doctoral Program team at CEPT University for their continuous support.
The ANFA Conference is a prestigious platform that brings together researchers from architecture, neuroscience, and cognitive sciences to explore how built environments affect human behavior and well-being.
This achievement not only highlights the strength of CEPT’s research community but also reinforces its commitment to fostering academic excellence and global engagement among its doctoral scholars.
For more details on CEPT’s Doctoral Programs and research opportunities, visit https://cept.ac.in/doctoral-office
