Case study: Museum of Anthropology at UBC – Great Hall Seismic Upgrade
About This Project
With its distinctive architecture, stunning sea-to-mountain views, and rich collection of art from Northwest Coast First Nations, the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is an important cultural destination in Vancouver.
The Great Hall Seismic Upgrade project helps protect the museum’s collections and preserve the Arthur Erickson-designed architecture. The project focuses on improving the Great Hall’s earthquake resilience while maintaining its original architectural character and extending the building’s lifespan. A key part of the technical solution was separating the Great Hall from the rest of the museum and installing base isolators to reduce the impact of seismic activity. This allows the space to move more safely during earthquakes while helping protect the museum’s collections.
Design and construction decisions were made in continuous consultation with the Musqueam Indian Band and other Indigenous communities, with input from the Arthur Erickson Foundation to help preserve the building’s architectural integrity.
Although the seismic upgrade focused on the Great Hall, the rest of the museum remained in use throughout construction. Museum offices continued to operate, and much of the museum stayed open to visitors. This meant demolition and construction noise had to be carefully managed to minimize disruption to visitors and staff, while vibration had to be controlled to help protect the museum’s collections. There were also concerns about the noise impact of demolition and construction activities on nearby residents.
Scope of Services
For this project, we provided acoustics, noise, and vibration consulting and monitoring for proposed demolition and construction activities. The work focused on two main objectives:
- Minimize demolition and construction noise affecting the operating museum and surrounding community.
- Prevent construction vibration from damaging the displayed collections.
Specific services included:
- Conducting sound and vibration measurements at multiple locations in the museum during nighttime demolition activity trial runs to assess transmission throughout the building.
- Analyzing collected data and providing a comprehensive report, including: anticipated demolition and construction activities; appropriate noise and vibration criteria; measured results compared to criteria; and recommendations for noise and vibration management.
- Designing sequencing and temporary hoarding designs to reduce construction noise and vibration transmission.
- Predicting construction noise impacts on nearby residences and Green College, and proposing mitigation strategies.
- Developing monitoring locations, installing continuous measurement equipment, and setting up automated alerts for threshold exceedances.
- Reviewing construction noise and vibration management specifications.
Project Benefits
Our noise and vibration control solutions helped:
- Support the protection of collections and heritage spaces: On-site measurements, allowable vibration thresholds, and continuous monitoring enabled early detection of potential risks, minimizing the chance of damage to artifacts during demolition and construction.
- Support ongoing museum operations throughout the upgrade: Construction noise and vibration were carefully managed so the museum could remain open to visitors and staff with minimal disruption.
- Manage noise impacts on the surrounding community: Predictive noise analysis and mitigation measures helped protect nearby noise-sensitive land uses, supporting positive relations with the local community.
We collaborated closely with UBC and the architect, Nick Milkovich Architects, to ensure the project achieved its objectives. The project later received a 2025 Special Jury award from the Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC).
BKL’s relationship with the UBC Museum of Anthropology predates this Great Hall seismic upgrade project. We provided acoustical design services for the original design in 1974 and have consulted on various expansion and renovation projects at the building since it opened in 1976.
Project Name:
Museum of Anthropology at UBC – Great Hall Seismic Upgrade
Year Completed:
2024
Capital Cost:
$40 million