Reconnecting Urban Life with Aotearoa’s Native Birdsong
Many Auckland CBD residents rarely hear native birdsong, distancing them from Aotearoa’s natural and cultural identity.
Urban birdsong explored how experience design could reconnect highly urban locals with native birdsong, inviting them to pause, feel calm, and reflect on the quietness of our unique chorus in the city. The project also supports wellbeing: listening to native birdsong lowers stress and anxiety, offering restorative moments amid the urban rush.
I designed a pop-up sound dome paired with a companion app. The dome provided a surround-sound space for passers-by to stop and listen; the app extended the experience into daily life with live-streamed sanctuary bird song, alarm integration, and bite-sized bird education.
I recorded binaural audio in nature reserves and visualised the chorus through digital drawings and incense smoke, inspired by how birdsong becomes visible in cold winter air. Using Blender and Adobe Audition, I produced a 3D mock-up and an immersive sound experience for the final video. I also created a short publication that documents my process and my design thinking.
By highlighting both the presence and absence of native birdsong, my project demonstrated how sound-based interaction design can foster emotional connections to nature and Aotearoa’s cultural heritage within urban spaces.
