The Architecture of Sound: Interview with L-Acoustics Engineer Julien Laval

“Ambiance brings flexibility to acoustic design. It doesn’t replace the work of acousticians — instead, it expands their possibilities. They can create slightly drier acoustics, and Ambiance can extend the reverberation time when needed. This makes the venue suitable for anything from opera and orchestral music to theatre or amplified shows.”

Julien believes that multifunctional venues — theatres, cultural centres, campuses, and educational spaces — are ideal for this kind of active acoustic system.

“Active acoustics is a new grammar of architecture. Traditionally, the shape of a building limits acoustic options, but with technologies like Ambiance, you can go beyond those constraints. It opens new degrees of creative freedom.”

He also highlighted the potential of the Baltic region, where interest in sound design among architects is steadily growing:

“I was really impressed to see so many Latvian architects attending our demo. It shows genuine curiosity and care about sound. In many countries, architects focus only on visual design, but here people understand that sound shapes the atmosphere. That’s inspiring.”

Today, L-Acoustics continues to pioneer technologies that allow architects and engineers to design adaptive, living spaces — where sound is not an afterthought, but an integral part of the architectural experience.