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Category: Insight

A person wearing a high-visibility vest holds a long microphone boom pole, aiming it towards a building in the background.

6 reasons to hire acoustic consultants for your project … at an early stage in its progress

You trust your well-trained, compassionate family doctor. But would you be comfortable with a diagnostic hint of “It’s probably acid reflux, but it might be throat cancer”? Chances are, you’d be as unlikely to accept a “might be” as she would to let you leave her examining room before referring you to a specialist. At the very least, she’d send you off to a lab with blood test requisition in hand.

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October 31, 2018 No Comments
A modern, minimalist chapel interior with light-colored wooden pews and a central wooden lectern, illuminated by natural light from large, vertical windows.

The Science—and Nature—of Sanctuaries

Sanctuary. The concept means different things to different people, and all those meanings play important roles in healthy, sustainable communities. It could be a place for community gathering; it could be your home. In this case study of the Brechin United Church Redevelopment in Nanaimo, BC, both those meanings informed our work with the client, BC Housing. One of several projects slated for construction by 2020, this redevelopment stems from a united commitment to providing much-needed affordable rental housing in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island.

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October 2, 2018 No Comments
A cozy reading nook with two grey chairs and a wooden tray on the floor holding an open book, a French press coffee maker, and a cup. The floor features a herringbone pattern.

The Sound of Floors

BAP Acoustics has performed hundreds of impact insulation class (IIC) tests across Western Canada. For these test, we utilize a “tapping machine” which you can see in the video below.

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March 22, 2017 No Comments
A cozy room with a leather couch, a round wooden coffee table with a laptop, a vintage refrigerator, bar stools, a zigzag rug, vinyl records, and industrial-style decor.

The Truth about Soundproofing

I was flipping through TV channels the other day and as I tuned in to a home improvement related show the show host pointed up to the underside of a ceiling in an old Vancouver home and cried out that “there was no soundproofing in there”. What did he mean by that I wondered? Was the ceiling cavity uninsulated? Was the ceiling put in without resilient channels? Would viewers think that, if those elements were put in, the room would be “soundproof”? Within the context of typical construction, I find the use of the words “soundproofing” or, more accurately, “soundproof” to be misleading.

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March 4, 2016 No Comments
Busy restaurant with people dining and interacting at tables, servers attending to guests, and a mix of modern and rustic decor, featuring exposed brick walls and industrial-style lighting.

Good Communication in Restaurants: Acoustic Capacity

You are sitting in a restaurant surrounded by some of your best friends. The food is great and the drinks are cold. The restaurant is gradually getting busier. Between the chatter and the background music, you begin to raise your voice to be heard by those at your table. You are not alone in this. Almost everyone else is doing the same. The background chatter gets louder and louder as everyone in the room also raises their voice to be heard. This is the Lombard Effect: the tendency for humans to raise their voice in the presence of noise.

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May 28, 2015 No Comments
A crowded nightclub with people dancing and socializing under blue laser lights.

Containing Noise from Pubs & Nightclubs

I’ve heard it said that Vancouver is a no fun city. As a relatively new immigrant from London UK, who is used to pubs closing around 11pm, I find this attitude a little hard to understand. However, one thing I have noticed since working here in the field of acoustic consultancy is how noise regulation in this city is less onerous than it is in London. Vancouver appears to be a city with lower levels of noise regulation.

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May 11, 2015 No Comments
Open office at Facebook

Office Acoustics: Speech Privacy and Security

Speech privacy is critical aspect of office acoustics, particularly as it relates to boardrooms and meeting rooms. Many office discussions are best conducted behind closed doors, but how can you know if an eavesdropper is able to listen to your discussions? To provide guidance on this acoustics engineering issue, ASTM International Standard E2638-10 defines five levels of speech privacy/security for enclosed meeting rooms and offices (see table).

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April 7, 2015 No Comments

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