Co-op Journey at BKL: Gaining Real-World Experience in Acoustical Consulting

A co-op term is more than a program requirement – it is an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience and better understand what professional practice looks like beyond the classroom. For Ashley, her Fall 2025 co-op term at BKL Consultants provided valuable exposure to the field of acoustical consulting.

BKL has a long legacy of supporting the next generation of engineers, having welcomed engineering co-op students like Ashley since 2010. From the outset, Ashley was welcomed into a collaborative and supportive work environment. Her positive attitude, openness, and willingness to learn quickly made her a valued member of the team. At BKL, co-op students are treated as junior colleagues rather than temporary support, and are encouraged to ask questions, learn from others, and gradually take on meaningful responsibilities.

During her time at BKL, Ashley worked on a range of projects across healthcare, infrastructure, residential, and cultural sectors. Her responsibilities included environmental noise modelling, building acoustics and noise monitoring analysis, and supporting internal technical tool development. This variety allowed her to gain a well-rounded understanding of the scope of work involved in acoustical consulting.

One of Ashley’s key learning experiences involved modelling a large concert hall-style space using SketchUp and Odeon to evaluate reverberation time and overall acoustical performance. This work helped bridge the gap between academic concepts and real-world application, particularly in understanding how room geometry and material selection influence acoustic outcomes. She also used tools to assess the sound transmission performance of building enclosure assemblies, gaining practical insight into how different wall and roof materials affect acoustical performance.

In addition to modelling, Ashley worked with field-collected data. She assisted with processing acoustic camera data to help identify and document noise sources, and supported the preparation of weekly noise and vibration monitoring reports for active construction sites. These tasks gave her direct experience with how acoustical data is gathered, analyzed, and communicated in a consulting environment.

Reflecting on her co-op experience, Ashley shared that she especially valued the trust she was given to contribute to real projects during her time at BKL. Through this experience, she was able to apply the knowledge she had gained in school while developing a much clearer understanding of how acoustical consulting work is carried out in practice, from modelling and data analysis through to final reporting.

Beyond project work, Ashley also contributed to the development of BKL’s internal acoustical details library, creating SketchUp models, sketches, and a standard procedure. This ongoing initiative supports future projects and helps ensure consistency across the team’s design and consulting work.

Acoustical consulting is a specialized discipline that requires both technical knowledge and practical experience. A co-op term provides students with an important opportunity to engage directly with real projects, gain a deeper understanding of the profession, and become familiar with the tools and methodologies used in practice. This commitment to nurturing new talent is a core part of BKL’s culture – a tradition we have upheld since welcoming our first engineering co-op student in 2010. At BKL, engineers actively support co-op students by providing guidance, sharing knowledge, and creating opportunities for hands-on involvement across a range of project types.

The co-op program is viewed as a meaningful part of a student’s professional development, with students regarded as junior team members who work alongside experienced professionals, contribute to real projects, and develop practical skills throughout their time at the firm.