The impact of visual-auditory interactions on well-being: colour and soundscapes in urban spaces

Abstract The study examines how aspects of recorded soundscapes and the visual field can influence test participants’ emotional responses in an urban environment in Okinawa, Japan. Despite a breadth of study in soundscape and well-being, there is very little research on sensory congruence and well-being in the context of natural vs. urban soundscapes in a controlled environment, and despite its importance for the design of restorative spaces. This study asks: How do natural and synthetic soundscapes differentially influence emotional responses, and how does coloured lighting, in combination with these soundscapes, modulate such responses? We report results from an immersive environmental installation in a pedestrian tunnel. The variables were a selection of natural sounds comprising local recordings of wildlife and natural phenomena, and synthetic sounds generated using digital waveforms and filters as sound sources. Coloured lighting was employed in conjunction with the sounds, ranging from warm to cool colours. Data from participants were recorded on a tablet-based interface using an emotional circumplex and analysed quantitatively. Findings reveal that the natural sounds played in the tunnel in relation to colours significantly affect the subject’s emotional well-being. The results from this study have important implications for the design and consideration of sound in urban environments.