Florian Grond

My research bridges immersive audio, participatory design, and sensory ethnography, with a particular focus on accessibility, disability arts, and inclusive design. As an Assistant Professor in Design and Computation Arts at Concordia University and Co-Director of the Centre for Sensory Studies, I investigate how auditory display, spatial audio, and sonic interaction can reframe our engagement with environments and with each other. My practice spans experimental sound art to adaptive technologies, emphasizing participatory approaches that center the lived experiences of blind, low-vision, and neurodivergent communities.

A central focus of my work is the development of immersive auditory methods, such as ambisonic recordings, binaural audio, and immersive playback environments that function as “sonic boundary objects” in ethnographic and design research. These approaches enable participants to inhabit, revisit, and reflect on sensory environments together, thereby deepening both experiential understanding and methodological inclusivity. My longstanding collaboration with AIRS member David Howes, as well as my collaboration with Catherine Guastavino’s projects Sound in the City, and Dr. Gregor Kos from Concordia, exemplify this interest in sound as a medium for rethinking environmental presence, justice, and health.

In parallel, I co-lead projects that connect artistic practice with rehabilitation and community health contexts, exploring how immersive listening environments can promote attentional restoration, social connection, and listening equity. My collaboration with Dr. Melissa Park extends this agenda by testing immersive audio as an ethnographic and participatory tool, demonstrating how sonic design can generate new knowledge across health, environment, and culture.