In the twentieth century, architects in large cities designed structures in a way that reduced noise and yet made living as comfortable as possible. They used such techniques as making walls hollow and filling this wall space with materials that absorb noise. Thick carpets and heavy curtains were used to cover floors and windows. Air conditioners and furnaces~ were designed to filter air through soundproofing~ materials. However, after much time and effort had been spent in making buildings less noisy, it was discovered that people also reacted in a negative way to the lack of sound. Now architects are designing structures which reduce undesirable noise but retain~ the kind of noise that people seem to need.
展开
