Case Study: SFU First Peoples’ Gathering House
About This Project
The First Nation Peoples’ Gathering House is a new cultural facility at the heart of Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby campus. Designed as a modern interpretation of a Coast Salish longhouse, it provides a dedicated and culturally appropriate space for Indigenous students, faculty, and staff to gather, practice traditions, and share knowledge.
The project directly responds to a Call to Action from SFU’s Aboriginal Reconciliation Council, fulfilling a long-standing need for a ceremonial heart for the Indigenous community and campus.
The facility is organized around a central Great Hall that accommodates up to 300 people for ceremonies and events. Supporting spaces include an Elders’ room, a wellness room, a classroom, a multi-generational lounge, and a kitchen, all designed to foster community and cultural continuity.
A defining feature of the design is the Great Hall’s orientation. While the wider campus is aligned off the cardinal axis, the Hall deliberately faces true east, an alignment that honours Coast Salish tradition and reinforces a strong sense of place.
Scope of Services
As the acoustical consultant for this culturally significant project, BKL ensured that the sonic environment would support and enhance the building’s diverse functions – from loud, celebratory gatherings to quiet, reflective ceremonies.
BKL’s scope included a comprehensive approach:
- Room acoustics design: Optimizing reverberation time and the acoustic character of the large ceremonial hall to ensure exceptional speech intelligibility for storytelling and announcements, while supporting the resonant qualities of drumming and singing.
- Sound isolation: Designing high-performance partitions and construction assemblies to maintain privacy in spaces such as the Elders’ room and wellness room, and to prevent noise transfer between the ceremonial hall and other sensitive areas.
- Building noise control: Specifying noise criteria and providing design advice for the HVAC systems to maintain low background noise levels, ensuring an atmosphere of quiet reverence throughout the facility.
Our team collaborated closely with the architects and stakeholders during the early design phases. We delivered detailed design recommendations and performance specifications tailored to the unique cultural and functional needs of each space, ensuring the integrated acoustical solutions would align with the architectural vision.
Project Benefits
BKL’s acoustical design was integral to creating a functional and respectful environment. Our solutions directly addressed the core activities of the Gathering House by:
- Enhancing ceremony and storytelling: Optimized room acoustics ensure every spoken word, song, and prayer is heard with clarity and dignity, honouring the oral traditions central to Indigenous culture.
- Supporting privacy and tranquility: Sound isolation strategies create acoustically private environments, providing the quiet and seclusion necessary for sensitive conversations, healing practices, and cultural protocols.
- Maintaining calm and focus: Careful control of mechanical noise establishes a low ambient noise floor, allowing the building to function as a true sanctuary for community, culture, and connection.
BKL’s work helps ensures that the First Peoples’ Gathering House serves as a lasting source of pride for the Indigenous community and SFU, preserving the integrity of cultural practices for generations to come.
Read the full story behind our acoustic design on our blog here
If you’d like to connect with our team or learn more about our work, please reach out to us here
Sources:
[1] Simon Fraser University. “SFU opens doors to First Peoples’ Gathering House on Burnaby Mountain.” SFU opens door to First People’s Gathering House on Burnaby Mountain.
[2] BC Gov News. “New SFU First Peoples’ Gathering House is reconciliation from the ground up.” BcNew SFU First People’s Gathering House is reconciliation from the ground up.
Project Name:
SFU First Peoples’ Gathering House
Year Completed
2025
Capital Cost:
$25M
Total Area:
15,000 square feet