TEIMU (the garden of dreams)

Grants and funding: An Australian Research Council Discovery Grant project

Aural and aesthetic attributes of Japanese gardens as models for spatial environments

Traditional Japanese garden design has greatly influenced both 20th century Western landscape designers and composers of Western art music. By investigating the aural and aesthetic attributes of five renowned Japanese gardens, RMIT and University of Melbourne researchers will seek out spatial sound designs that could enhance sound quality in urban environments and provide a pioneering approach to architectural modeling and the built environment.

This project has long term cross disciplinary implications. The project’s results and methods may assist in innovative sound design for new media applications, better listening environments in urban areas, unique approaches for data modeling, and a catalyst for future design strategies.

Key people

Project team

• Peter Downton
• Lawrence Harvey
• Michael Fowler
• Greg Missingham (University of Melbourne)
• Alex Selenitsch (University of Melbourne)

Publications

Outputs of the TEIMU (the garden of dreams) project

Book chapter

• Fowler, Michael (2008): The city as soundscape laboratory. In: notions of space, Ed. Rochus Urban Hinkel. (Melbourne: Craft Victoria), 8-10.

Journal article (refereed)

• Fowler, Michael (2008): Finding Cage at Ryoan-ji through a re-modelling of Variations II. Perspectives of New Music 47/1.

Journal article (non-refereed)

• Fowler, Michael. (2008): Shin-Ryoanji: a digital garden. Soundscape: The Journal of Acoustic Ecology Vol. 8/1, 33-36.
• Fowler, Michael (2008): Three views of Sesshutei. The OPEN SPACE (accepted for publication 08.08).
• Fowler, Michael (2006): Textscape-Landscape. The OPEN SPACE Issue 7, 273-76.

Conference (full written paper-refereed proceedings)

• Missingham, Greg and Alex Selenitsch. “Japanese Crows don’t speak Eucalypt,“ in Proceedings of ConnectED 2007 International Conference on Design Education. University of New South Wales, 9-12 July 2007.
• Fowler, M., Harvey, L. and Murray, N. (2006): Ephemeral envelopment: the electroacoustic music Studio in a school of spatial studies. Architecture|Music|Acoustics Conference at Ryerson University, Canada, June 006 (CD ROM).
• Fowler, M and Harvey, L. (2006): Teimu (the garden of dreams): aural and aesthetic attributes of Japanese gardens as models for spatial environments. The West meets the East in Acoustic Ecology, Hirosaki University, Japan, November 2006, 147-165.
• Fowler, Michael. (2007). Revealing the Unheard: re-contextualising the aurality of a Japanese garden. Paper presentation at Art of the Immersive Soundscape II, University of Regina, Canada, 20-22 June 2007.

Major creative works

• Fowler, Michael. (2007). Sesshutei as a spatial model, muti-channel immersive sound installation. Nono Hall and AIAV lawn, Akiyoshidai International Art Village, Mine-shi, Yamaguchi-ken Japan. 24-25 October 2008.
• Fowler, Michael. (2006). Acoustic Intersections, ambisonic immersive sound installation. Media Lab, Hakodate Future University, Department of Complex Systems, Hakodate Japan. 20-25 September 2006.

Creative work included in group exhibition, performance, recording or anthology

• Michael Fowler, piano and electronics, Tim Constable, percussion, Tristram Williams, trumpet, Landscape by Peter Sculthorpe, Ryoanji, 4½ by John Cage, Storey Hall, RMIT University, Melbourne, 31 August 2006.

Other academic outputs

• Fowler, Michael. "Teimu (the garden of dreams): aural and aesthetic attributes of Japanese gardens as models for spatial environments," Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT) Seminar Series, Strathcona Music Building, 555, McGill University, Montreal CANADA, 6 November 2008
• Fowler, Michael. Harvey, Lawrence. "SIAL Sound Studios“ and “Teimu (the garden of dreams): aural and aesthetic attributes of Japanese gardens as models for spatial environments," Architecture+Philosophy, Federation Square, BMW-Edge, Melbourne AUSTRALIA, 15 May 2008
• Fowler, Michael. "Aurality," Center for Meaningful Learning, Future University, Hakodate JAPAN, 2 November 2006
• Fowler, Michael. "Notation/Representation," Center for Meaningful Learning, Future University, Hakodate JAPAN, 6 October 2006