Sound is a funny thing. Take for example, the sound of crashing waves on a sea shore. Many of us think of this sound with affection. Memories of summer holidays, childhood, etc. When we hear the sea we are usually uplifted and it can generally be associated with happy thoughts.



Perhaps not the same if you live on the coast though and are trying to get to sleep on a stormy night.



Then there is the sound of seagulls. I’m sure that will divide opinion!



Generally though we think of natural sounds as pleasant, calming, exciting even. I don’t recall hearing anyone refer to a natural sound as noise.



…other than the seagulls!



That’s not always the case in the built environment though. I have to say I find the sounds of a city, first thing in the morning quite pleasant, but by mid-day, traffic noise can only be described as noise. I like music, a whole range of music, but the sound of music escaping poor quality headphones worn by the person next to me on the train, can likewise only be described as noise.



Of course some reactions to sounds are borne out of familiarity and perhaps absence. If I grew up for example, beside a busy railway and associated the traffic noise with a happy childhood, hearing that sound again may make me feel momentarily happy, or secure.



So it’s not as simple as saying noise is noise and is always a bad thing. It’s a complex area which I’m sure could provide hours of debate. What is certain though is that most of us hear artificial sounds much more often that we hear natural sounds. For some, they will probably not even realise this is happening and may not be concerned either way.



But as we strive to make our built environment a more pleasant place to live, should we be looking at ways to makes that sound connection with nature. Perhaps bird song played into office atria or into public spaces within cities. Would something like that improve our well-being?