User evaluation of the Sonic Gathering Place - an installation incorporating sound design

The Sonic Gathering Place (SGP) is a prototype outdoor urban furniture installation that uses natural sounds recorded in national parks to enhance the biophilic effects of plants. This paper presents the development and results of a user evaluation survey accessed via QR code on the installation. It aimed to provide the designers with feedback on effects of the installation, constructed in a Melbourne university campus courtyard, on users' enjoyment, as well as capturing more subtle affective outcomes of users' experiences. Results demonstrated that the soundscape/biophilic design intervention was successful, increasing the enjoyment of its users and improving self-reported mood. It encouraged users to stop and listen; they responded it provided them with the restorative effects experienced in nature; and that the sounds complemented the plantings. This paper also reports sound levels measured at the installation which showed that the introduced sound levels were set by the designer only marginally louder than those that existed before the installation.