Making Good Acoustics “Happen” with Paul Marks
Recently, Paul Marks, a Principal at BKL, sat down for a chat with James from the Site Visit Podcast. They talked...
30 May, 2024
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Building Acoustics Tag
Heat Pumps: 8 Tips to Avoid Noise Issues with Neighbours
Air source heat pumps are growing in popularity. While these systems can help you save on your heating bill, they...
25 April, 2024
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Housing for Women by Women
In honour of International Women’s Day, we would like to put a spotlight on the SIV (Soroptimist International of Vancouver)...
08 March, 2024
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The Benefits of Acoustical Site Visits During Construction
An acoustical site visit during construction can bring peace of mind to developers — and peace and quiet to the...
27 November, 2023
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The Benefits of Sound Masking
This post looks at the benefits of sound masking, how it works, and why sound masking systems, alongside other acoustical...
28 February, 2022
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BC Energy Step Code and Acoustics
Our buildings are going to look a lot different in the not-so-distant future. British Columbia is on the cusp of...
25 March, 2021
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How to Meet Acoustical Requirements While Reducing Embodied Carbon
On April 29, 2019, the City of Vancouver declared a climate emergency. At the same time, the municipality announced “six...
27 November, 2020
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Good Speech Communication is Possible in Restaurants, Even During A Pandemic
In the months since COVID-19 took over the news cycle, restaurants have adapted to stay open and observe the recommendations...
11 September, 2020
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Outdoor Noise Prediction: The Advantages and Limitations of Computer Noise Modelling
During BKL’s 54 years of acoustical consulting, the method of calculating and predicting outdoor noise propagation has evolved from hand...
30 August, 2020
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Transit Centre Acoustics
Where do buses start and finish each day? At a transit centre. These facilities are the hubs of public transportation...
04 June, 2020
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A Co-Op in Acoustics
In January 2020, Simon Fraser University (SFU) student Ryan Heo began an eight-month term as a co-op student at BKL....
04 May, 2020
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How to Make Your Home Office Video Conference Sound Its Best
Even before the pandemic, more and more people were working from home regularly. Thanks to contemporary computers and cellphones, with...
30 April, 2020
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Do Trees Block Sound? How Do We Soundproof a Room? We Answer Some Common Questions About Acoustics
Do trees block sound? How do you soundproof a room? Why is there a fountain in the lobby? As acoustical...
27 March, 2020
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Banda Propagates Sound Knowledge About Building Envelope Acoustics
Last November, BKL was again invited to present at the BC Building Envelope Council’s Annual Conference. To lead the 45-minute...
31 January, 2020
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2018 BC Building Code: BKL Interprets Acoustical Changes for Design Professionals
In March 2019, BKL’s Phil Miville-Deschênes presented on the acoustical guidelines of the 2018 BC Building Code before members of...
15 August, 2019
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Acoustics and WELL-Being: A Closer Look at the WELL Building Standard
What makes a building sustainable? In the past, a mix of building design standards sought to provide guidelines for environmental...
18 July, 2019
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Modular Buildings and Acoustics: 3 Key Principles
Compared to traditional construction, modular buildings offer shorter build times, less wasted material, and lower overhead. These benefits have popularized...
25 June, 2019
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BKL Helps Forge a Path Toward Better Building Envelope Acoustics
Last October, Mark Bliss, one of the Principals at BKL, presented on acoustics at the BC Building Envelope Council’s annual...
30 May, 2019
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The 2018 BC Building Code Encourages Better Acoustics in Multi-Family Dwellings
Back in 2015, updates to the National Building Code ushered in new acoustical requirements for sound transmission between adjoining suites....
25 April, 2019
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Measuring Footfall Noise
Ever wonder how we assess impact sound isolation in floor/ceiling assemblies? Well, for starters, we don’t send one acoustician upstairs...
29 March, 2019
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Noise Control in Fitness Centres, Gyms, and Workout Studios
In recent years, the number of fitness centres, gyms and workout studios has increased greatly. New apartment buildings, shopping malls,...
02 November, 2018
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Resilient Channel: If You Use It, Don’t Screw It Up!
According to building codes, party floor/ceiling assemblies must provide a minimum Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating of 50. To achieve this...
10 July, 2018
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Improve Your School Music Program with Good Acoustical Design
Whether you are building a new school or upgrading an existing facility, properly planning the acoustics in your music rehearsal...
31 January, 2018
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Theatre Acoustics: Designing Drama Spaces for Speech and Music
Storytelling is one of the oldest human traditions, and a great drama space connects the audience to the actors, setting...
28 July, 2017
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The Myth of Privacy in an Open-Plan Office
“It’s the best of both worlds,” says the salesman. “All you need are these little screens, an acoustical tile ceiling,...
31 March, 2017
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Intelligible Design: Reverberation time and hearing
Reverberation time (RT) is a measure of how long it takes for sound to decay in a space. It can...
21 January, 2017
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Acoustics Week in Canada 2016
Photo Credit: Andy MetelkaAnother successful Acoustics Week is in the books! This year’s conference was held in Vancouver from September...
09 November, 2016
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New Requirements in the 2015 National Building Code: Flanking Noise
The recently updated National Building Code (NBC) of Canada 2015 presents a new way to control airborne sound transmitted between...
14 October, 2016
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TV Magic: BKL on CBC
Have you ever wondered what makes a concert hall sound great?“Sonic Magic: The Wonder and Science of Sound,” a recent...
21 January, 2016
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Smart Acoustical Design Helps Listeners with Impaired Hearing
When designing your care facility, rest home, classroom, university lecture hall, amphitheatre or house of worship, consider incorporating acoustical design...
05 October, 2015
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LEED and Green Building Acoustics
A recent survey of green buildings (mostly in the United States) indicated that the main drawbacks from the users perspective...
07 September, 2015
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BKL Brings Music to the Ears of Audiences and Performers
Evidence of BKL’s leadership in acoustics can be found in live performance venues across Western Canada. For example, BKL consulted...
07 November, 2014
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Fenestration West – Acoustic Performance of Windows
BKL was invited to talk about the acoustic performance of windows at the latest Fenestration West conference, as summarized in...
14 May, 2014
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Footstep and Impact Noise in Multi-Family Dwellings
Noise issues are common in apartments, condominiums and other multi-family dwellings, and footstep/impact noise is currently the most significant. Footstep...
25 September, 2012
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![By David J (Flickr: Friend's studio) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://bkl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Friends_home_studio_by_David_J.jpg)
Home and Project Studio FAQ
We get a lot of inquiries regarding studio design in homes, garages, apartments and condos. Most people involved in building...
15 February, 2012
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