If I've learned anything in living among the Quakers of Costa Rica, it is that intentional and focused dwelling in quiet is a space at once empty and rich with possibility, for both individuals and communities.
This paper will briefly present the programme and presents preliminary results from the first study of how various adverse health effects are related to individual noise exposures among individuals in residential areas with and without access to a quiet side of the dwelling.
THINGS are often not quite what they seem in Southeast Portland, a quiet neighborhood of family dwellings, streets with trendy shops and supermarkets, and sections that are downright barren and industrial.
A trio of intrepid youngsters face down a demonic dwelling in a quiet suburb.
The study was designed to test whether having access to a quiet side of one's dwelling enhances opportunities for relaxation and reduces noise annoyance and other adverse health effects related to noise.
Having access to a quiet side of one's dwelling reduces disturbances by an average of 30 50% for the various critical effects, and corresponds to a reduction in sound levels of (LAeq,24h) 5 dB at the most-exposed side.
To protect most people (80%) from annoyance and other adverse effects, sound levels from road traffic should not exceed (LAeq,24h) 60 dB at the most-exposed side, even if there is access to a quiet side of one's dwelling (LAeq,24h⩽45 dB).
In contrast, quiet wakefulness was dominated by dwelling behavior, although it included intervals of directed locomotion.
This bottom-dwelling species prefers quiet water over rough or rocky terrain, including sites with algal cover.
House museums -- a smattering of cultural artifacts set up in a historic dwelling -- occupy the quietest corner of the cultural world.
It was hot and quiet as I peered inside a family dwelling -- two rooms where two thin but tidy mattresses lay on the floor -- one for the children and one for the parents.
