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In a world where more people than ever live in an urban context the challenge of providing good housing is more pressing than before. The ongoing densification adds an extra layer to the complexity of the housing question. Sweden is no exception to this. The closer together people live the more potential for conflicts, in apartment buildings one of the more common complaints is regarding noise transference between dwellings. Additionally, the risk of causing a disturbance infringes on the individual’s freedom to conduct their life as they want. Since context plays a large role in the overall soundscape of a building an urban site located in Umeå was used as a testbed for the project. The method of autoethnographic study was used to map the site and its sound characteristics aiding in the process of exploring domestic soundscapes.

Learning from readings of both technical and experiential nature the goal is to propose a multi-family housing scheme where the inhabitants can experience a higher level of auditorial comfort and partake in noisy activities of their liking. This becomes especially relevant since more and more people does not keep the typical “eight to five” lifestyle of the past. The project strives to propose an alternative method for creating an intentional domestic soundscape better suited for contemporary life. Both inside and outside.