Abstract
Building shape is of prime importance with regard to the acoustic aspects of achieving adequate indoor environmental quality. This paper presents experimental results obtained in a measurement programme carried out at CSTB, using reduced-scale models. The objectives were to identify the architectural forms of façades' best for noise mitigation, and to address the influence of façade architecture on indoor acoustic quality. Many façade typologies have been assessed in different situations involving combinations of structural and architectural elements, such as balustrades, balconies, loggias, etc. A systematic simulation of real configurations (buildings in front of one another, stacked or contiguous rooms, L or U buildings, etc.) contributes to developing our knowledge of sound propagation and insulation effects for improvement of urban dwellings.