Nikki Elim Ng

Advisor: Mimi Locher

Architectural blueprint on aged, smudged paper, featuring circles and rectangles. A sense of historic and artistic design exploration. Keywords: blueprint, architectural, design, paper, vintage.
Collage of Hong Kong soundwaves and sketched scenes depicts urban life. Titles like "On a Bus" and "Walking" are paired with abstract imagery, creating a dynamic, layered city theme.
Audio clips translation into sketches.
Abstract soundscape art with overlapping lines, shapes, and text depicting audio elements like birds, waves, and traffic. A QR code labeled “Sound Score” is on the lower right.
Sound score and soundtrack of proposed soundscape.
Map showing a proposed location in Victoria Park. Key roads include Victoria Park Rd, Island Eastern Corridor, and Causeway Rd. Grayscale tones.
Noise map of existing site map of Victoria Park.
An architectural site plan depicting various structures surrounded by trees and pathways. The grayscale layout includes circular and rectangular forms.
Abstract sound map of interventions.
Collage of four architectural models on wood. Each design features geometric shapes and diverse textures, labeled: "Isolation Pods," "Echo Chamber," "Harmonic Void," and "Nature's Beat."
Conceptual models. Designing through rhythmic diagrams and musical terminology.
Four architectural sketches showcase modern structures surrounded by trees. "Isolation Pods" and "Nature’s Beat" feature open designs; "Echo Chamber" has a cylindrical element, while "Harmonic Void" appears linear. Birds add tranquility.
Elevations/section/perspective of main interventions.
A serene courtyard with dark stone walls, flowing water, a small pond, and wooden benches. Sunlight casts gentle shadows, creating a calm ambiance.
Raining listening building render.

LISTEN UP: HONG KONG'S URBAN RHYTHM

The ladies bargaining in the market,

a taxi horn from the road,

pedestrian lights beeping across the street,

water dripping from the air conditioner above,

construction noise from the next street,

and my own hurried footsteps

— These are the sounds that defi ne the melody of Hong Kong.

Every moment I hear (passively) and listen (actively) as if I feel and experience my surroundings through my ears. In my mind, the sound of a thunderstorm paints a picture of a typhoon night in Hong Kong, while the muted sound of birds chirping evokes memories of a morning walk under the cast shadows of tall trees. Sound depicts imagination.

Sound defines our spaces and public inclusivity. In a city, where different noises, music, and sounds collide, we share a layered soundscape with the public while maintaining our individuality within that space. In a park, we hear birds in the distance, conveying an extension of space, though that space cannot be reached by foot.

What are ways to design architecture so that an experience intends to feed to the ears rather than the eyes? How can the construction of architectural experience build upon attentive and involuntarily listening? Specifically, how does active listening to Hong Kong’s soundscape within a designed space heal and shape individuals? Healing involves immersing the mind in the natural soundscape to practice mindfulness. This thesis examines the interplay between urban soundscape and environmental perception in Victoria Park, Hong Kong. It aims to create an acoustic sequence and selectively activate sound filters to enhance one’s spatial perception through architectural design. Through the orchestration in architecture, people can experience their surroundings through listening, fostering emotional healing as they are less distracted by the visual elements and more attuned to the auditory signals.

Listen up! down, in and out. Listen to design rhythm and the urban soundscape.