Reassessing Noise Comfort in High-Rise Housing in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam: The Role of Urban Morphology and Road Noise Propagation

Abstract

High-rise apartment buildings have rapidly expanded in urban centers to address housing demand, offering environmental and economic benefits. However, residents often face persistent exposure to traffic noise. Despite adherence to regulatory acoustic standards during design and construction, significant discrepancies remain between predicted and actual indoor noise levels.

This study hypothesizes that these discrepancies arise from three main factors: (1) differences between projected and actual traffic noise characteristics; (2) environmental conditions influencing noise propagation; and (3) the acoustic performance of the building envelope. Focusing on the second factor, this paper investigates how two key environmental variables affect façade-level noise attenuation in high-rise residential buildings in Ho Chi Minh City: (i) the surrounding spatial morphology and (ii) the orientation and height of buildings relative to noise sources.

Using SoundPLAN Noise simulation software, the study identifies how urban form and building siting influence noise reduction patterns and the formation of acoustic shadow zones. The findings aim to support more accurate noise prediction models and inform urban planning and architectural strategies that improve acoustic comfort in dense residential environments.