Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, or a student of any age, news headlines like the one above spell not only uncertainty, but an exponentially increasing likelihood that you may soon need to—if you haven’t already—set up a virtual classroom in your home.
Ever wondered what acoustic engineering consultants are typically asked to do when they’re… consulted? Maybe you have an acoustics-related problem of your own but aren’t sure what questions to ask? First of all, please don’t hesitate to contact us and express your concerns, because at BAP Acoustics, we believe there are no wrong questions, especially not when they elicit sound advice. Secondly, we hear certain types of questions so frequently we feel they warrant their own blog post, so please read on. You may see your own question—or one relevant to it—addressed below.
British Colombia is known nationally and beyond not only for its abundant natural beauty, but the real estate prices—the highest in Canada—that beauty inspires and enables. This holds particularly true for large urban centres such as Vancouver and Victoria, where owning a detached house remains out of reach for most middle class people. So it’s easy to understand how condominium (or strata) living presents a more accessible alternative. My husband and I live in the second Vancouver condo we’ve owned in the many years we’ve lived here and can attest to numerous advantages strata living offers, which, aside from relative affordability, include shared property maintenance costs and freedom from responsibilities like shovelling what little snow falls here.
Whether it’s elevating home organization to a zen-like practice or hurling truck tires around an echo chamber, some trends take root virtually over night and blossom at length despite their glaring (or, more fittingly blaring) issues.
Troubled condo-owners often ask me “does the noise I can hear in my apartment exceed the limits allowed under the Building Code?”
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).