Case Study

Maple Ridge Bandstand

About This Project

Not all musical acoustics projects are big-budget concert venues, or for that matter even indoors. One of the most unique musical venues we have been involved in was an outdoor gazebo style bandstand in Maple Ridge, BC. Built in time to host the Outdoor Concert Band Competition in 1994, this venue has received rave reviews from all musical groups that have performed in it. The client was very familiar with the shortcomings of other bandstands and was hoping to develop an acoustical design that would improve the quality of performance for both musicians and audience. The client was also hoping to develop a design that could be reproduced easily so that the entire bandstand package could be sold as a commercial building kit.

Most outdoor bandstands, with the classic bell-shaped roof structure, exhibit some serious acoustical problems for the musicians such as uneven sound levels and a difficulty in hearing the balance of the individual voices and instruments. For the audience, standing around the outside of the bandstand, the problem is a lack of sound being directed out of the shell, and what sound they do hear tends to lack ensemble. Because the gazebo is open on all sides, the typical bandshell solution would not work. We needed a solution that would provide no impediment to the sight lines, would not require any setup, would be inherently vandal proof, and could be easily incorporated into the construction.

Using software previously developed, we produced a design detail for a numeric sequence acoustic diffuser based on Manfred Schroeder’s work that could be built from standard dimensional lumber to keep fabrication costs to a minimum. The sequence provided a diffuser bandwidth of 550-3550Hz. After discussing the cost implications of several possible construction details, the contractor elected to spend the additional money to build the diffuser ceiling. As an interesting note, it took five carpenters 13 days to pre-assemble the ceiling.

The diffuser ceiling was built in eight panels, with the diffuser panels oriented to direct energy both outside of the bandshell and back to the musicians from eight directions. This produced superb ensemble of the music for both the musicians and the audience, with the added benefit of having the ceiling reflection become virtually inaudible. Musicians found that they could hear each other in balance, even with loud instruments such as drums and brass, producing high sound levels. The sound levels were not as high as the musicians expected with the relatively low ceiling. Barbershop Quartets found that they had enough return from the ceiling diffusers that it gave them the sense of being in a large diffuse room with walls. The audience found that no matter where they stood, they were able to hear an ensemble of instruments.

Veteran musicians of these competitions had never experienced anything like it before. It was unanimously reported as being the best bandstand that anyone had played in. The bandstand has proven to be the best proof of the effectiveness of the diffuser in musical environments. We found we can make outdoor venues behave like a well designed indoor music venue, and provide the equivalent dramatic improvement in acoustics for the audience.

The People Behind Our Work

Our Technical Leads
Our Team

Paul Marks

M.Sc., MIOA

Vice President, Project Delivery

Paul Marks, M.Sc., MIOA

Vice President, Project Delivery

Paul Marks joined BKL in 2013. He is a full corporate member of the UK Institute of Acoustics and the Canadian Acoustical Association. He has over 20 years’ experience in the measurement, analysis, and assessment of noise, vibration, and acoustical matters and is a former member of the technical advisory team working with the UK government on noise and statutory nuisance issues. During this time, Paul has undertaken major projects within Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

He has experience in a wide range of multi-disciplinary environmental assessment projects including highway, rail, and air transportation infrastructure, mixed-use and brownfield regeneration schemes, renewable energy facilities, and power generation plants.

Paul also has experience in a broad range of building and architectural noise assessment projects including the design of residential, office, educational, and commercial buildings. He has also undertaken acoustical studies for major infrastructure developments including work in the design of appropriate sound-fields for room-spaces in multi-occupancy buildings, including atriums and performance spaces. His work regularly involves close liaison with other acoustical engineers, planning consultants, architects, designers, and a variety of specialist environmental consultants.

Paul is an experienced expert witness within the UK and has a broad experience of planning, licensing and statutory nuisance proceedings as well as being responsible for the successful design of a variety of impact mitigation measures including detailed engineering solutions, lay-out design, and administrative regimes where it has been necessary to closely liaise with clients, designers, and regulatory bodies in order to provide developments in accordance with sustainable principles.
Katrina Scherebnyj

M.A.Sc., P.Eng., MIOA

Technical Director, Building Acoustics

Katrina Scherebnyj, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., MIOA

Technical Director, Building Acoustics

Katrina Scherebnyj started consulting in acoustics in 2007 in England and joined BKL in 2014. Her experience covers architectural acoustics, mechanical noise control, and environmental noise control, and she has worked on major projects in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

In architectural acoustics, Katrina has worked on a range of new builds and refurbishment projects including schools, universities and higher education facilities, hospitals and healthcare facilities, performance spaces, cinemas, laboratories, office buildings, hotels, and residential buildings. She has provided acoustical design services in relation to sound insulation, room acoustics, and noise control.

Katrina was a co-author of Music Accommodation in Secondary Schools: A Design Guide, published for the UK Department for Education in 2010. Researching the guide, she carried out acoustical measurements in the music departments of several schools and interviewed music teachers and students on the suitability of their music spaces.

Katrina has extensive experience modelling internal sound fields and has carried out numerous models of performance spaces, lecture theatres, and other spaces where acoustical design is critical. She also has experience modelling outdoor noise propagation and has constructed and reviewed noise models for Columbia Containers in Vancouver, BC Children’s and Women’s Hospitals, the Pinnacle (once planned to be London’s tallest building), Crossrail, and other transportation projects.

Katrina is a member of the Canadian Acoustical Association and the Institute of Acoustics (UK).
Henning Schlechtriem

M.Sc.

Managing Specialist Acoustical Consultant

Henning Schlechtriem, M.Sc.

Managing Specialist Acoustical Consultant

Henning Schlechtriem, M.Sc., joined BKL in February 2020. He has 8 years of international project experience working as professional acoustical consultant in the design and assessment of residential and non-residential buildings.

Henning has a Master’s Degree in Acoustics with Environmental Applications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering with specialization in building physics and acoustics. His professional expertise focuses on the fields of architectural and environmental acoustics. He is a proficient with software such as Odeon, SoundPLAN, STRUTT, Insul, Rhino+Grasshopper, Max/MSP, and with measurement equipment from Brüel And Kjær, NTi and Norsonic.

He has worked together with architects, investors, municipalities, as well as structural and mechanical engineers, covering a wide range of projects including office, residential, and mixed-use buildings, hotels, hospitals, schools, and cultural venues. His work has involved the acoustical design and on-site assessment of room acoustics, sound insulation including flanking transmission, environmental noise and noise from building services.

Henning has given presentations to architects and technical planners to share his knowledge about the acoustical design of masonry, concrete and lightweight constructions, timber-concrete hybrid buildings and general acoustical challenges during the design of buildings.

He is a member of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Akustik, the German Association of Acoustics (DEGA) and is an Approved Assessor for Acoustics and Building Physics at the Chamber of Engineers in NRW and Hessen (Germany).
Andrew Williamson

P.Eng., B.S.M.E.

Specialist Acoustical Consultant

Andrew Williamson, P.Eng., B.S.M.E.

Specialist Acoustical Consultant

A graduate of the University of Victoria, Andrew Williamson holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and has practiced as an acoustical consultant in BC for over two decades. He joined BKL in 2023.

During his career, Andrew has worked on numerous projects involving environmental noise assessments, building noise and vibration control, and architectural acoustics. As a project manager, Andrew has led acoustics teams on a variety of projects across sectors including cultural and recreation, education and research, health care, industrial, commercial, and residential.

Andrew has attended public meetings, open houses, and government-sponsored working groups to present and discuss technical information with the public, municipal councils, and members of the government and other organizations. In addition, Andrew has acted as an expert witness in BC Supreme Court and participated in a joint review panel hearing for the environmental assessment of a major infrastructure project.

Andrew is a Professional Engineer registered with Engineers and Geoscientists BC.