The start of acoustic research at Chalmers University of Technology

At the beginning of the 20th century building acoustics developed from a more empirical field to a fully developed sub-discipline in acoustics. This was supported by the development of measurement techniques required for carrying out laboratory and field measurements and by people engaged in building up acoustic laboratories. So also happened in Sweden in the middle of the forties when Per Brüel came to Chalmers University of Technology where he started the Chalmers Acoustic Laboratory. He was soon joined by Uno Ingard who later was professor at the MIT. At that time Sweden was in a transformation process from an agrarian to a highly industrialized nation leading to a large urbanization. Shortage of housing and the need to increase housing standard led to the so-called million programme with the goal to build one million flats. New building technologies led however to buildings of varying acoustic quality. As consequence building acoustics was identified as an important part in the education of civil engineers. In 1962 Chalmers established a professorship in building acoustics. In 1969 Tor Kihlman became the first professor in building acoustics in Sweden. That was the start of Applied Acoustics at Chalmers University of Technology.