A grounded theory investigation on subjective evaluation of the sound environment in large interior spaces

As the sound field in large spaces is more complicated than common ones, it is necessary to study the subjective evaluation to acoustical environment in those places in order to improve the acoustical comfort in large spaces. The aim of this study is to obtain a deep insight into the dimensions that reflects subjective evaluation of the acoustic environment in large interior spaces. Based on the grounded theory, 21 participants aged 10-72 completed the interviews involving open questions and semi-structured questions, which was held in six different spaces including traffic buildings, exhibition buildings and sports buildings in Tianjin. The results showed two major categories of the subjective evaluation in large space: one category was directed to the subjective evaluation of the sound field, which included five subcategories. They were loudness, the complexity of sound sources, sound intelligibility, fullness and spatial impression. The other category focused on the subjective evaluation of people's feelings, including annoyance, acceptability and disturbance extent. It was also found that the evaluation of acoustic environment in large spaces depended on not only the physical properties of sound field but also the personal attributes, such as noise sensitivity, mood and individual personality. Those findings might provide some hints for improvement of acoustical condition in large interior spaces.