UKAN+ Webinar: Analyzing and Designing Complex Acoustic Environments: Computational and AI-Driven Approaches

This talk discusses innovative methods for analyzing and designing acoustic environments to create spaces that enhance well-being and experience. It introduces the multiple convolution method for analyzing room modal response in spaces with complex geometry, addressing the limitations of traditional room mode calculations. This approach considers surface materials, sound source location, and frequency characteristics to identify amplified frequencies.

The talk will also introduce the Sonic Sculpting project, which leverages sound as a primary tool for reconstructing and designing 3D environments using generative AI. Specifically, it applies machine learning to predict room geometry from an impulse response, offering a novel approach to architectural acoustic design, virtual environments, and video games.

By integrating computational analysis and machine learning, this research aims to create supportive acoustic environments that enhance both functional and perceptual aspects of space—bridging architecture, acoustic technology, and human experience.

Alaa Algargoosh is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at Virginia Tech. Her work bridges design and technology in acoustics, leading her to be named Innovator Under 35 by MIT Technology Review, in addition to receiving many prestigious awards in architecture, humanities, and sustainability.

Algargoosh investigates the links between the physical, perceptual, and social aspects that shape the acoustic experience. Her research develops advanced solutions for acoustics, including immersive experiences that enhance well-being and computational technologies for designing and analyzing complex acoustic environments. Her work has been published in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America and Applied Acoustics and has been featured in media outlets including Live Sound Magazine and the Dubai Future Podcast.

Her projects have been showcased in international exhibitions, including the ArtScience Exhibition at Le Laboratoire in Paris, Ibtikar in Riyadh, and Mapping the Egalitarian Metropolis: Spaces of Hope in Detroit, supported by the Mellon Foundation. Most recently, her work was presented at the MIT Museum, where she explored sound’s role in enhancing well-being through immersive experiences. Her current areas of focus include generative AI for acoustic design and supportive acoustic experiences.