Bridge Studios

About This Project

Opened in 1987 on the historic Dominion Bridge property, Bridge Studios features 12 sound stages, and has hosted thousands of film and television productions during its three decades of operation. BKL consulted on the acoustical design of the original effects stage and sound stages, and over the years, has continued to provide acoustical advice for Bridge Studios on both new and existing buildings. Here is a look at some of BKL’s recent work.

Stages 10, 11 and 12

In 2018, after demolishing the original John Thomas Special Effects Stage, Bridge opened a new building that’s home to three 17,000 square foot sound stages (10, 11, and 12), plus workshops, offices, and plenty of storage space for sets and costumes.

For the Stage 10/11/12 facility, BKL provided a range of acoustical design services, including room acoustics and exterior noise isolation. The team reviewed building plans, and made recommendations for wall treatments, door construction and seals, and window seals. Furthermore, BKL’s acousticians analyzed the roof design to adequately control noise from the adjacent Sky Train line and to ensure rainfall noise wouldn’t affect studio productions.

BKL also consulted on the interior sound stages, making recommendations for demising walls and doors. Because Bridge required a 40′ x 40′ door between each stage, BKL found products that would meet the sound attenuation requirements. In this, BKL provided Bridge with a couple of options, identifying both an acoustical door system and an alternative, interlocking panel wall system, which was more budget friendly.

Exterior of Stages 10/11/12.

In addition, BKL made recommendations for acoustical treatment within the sound stages. This treatment improved the spaces’ reverberation times while being highly suitable for a production studio: It doesn’t flake off and show up on film. What’s more, BKL suggested specs for the duct sizes, construction, lining, and dampers to control noise from building services.

Isolating noise from carpentry and set shops, as well as other workshops was a crucial aspect of the building’s acoustical design, as was preventing noise from SkyTrain and nearby roadways from impacting the sound stages. In this, BKL’s acousticians drew from the firm’s collective experience working with Bridge Studios, and its significant knowledge of SkyTrain noise, to provide recommendations that would suitably control noise from both internal and external sources, and provide Bridge with an ideal acoustical environment for movie production.

Interior of Stage 10.

Stage 8

BKL provided acoustical design services for Bridge’s forthcoming Stage 8, the studio’s latest sound stage. Stage 8 is slated to be built next to Stage 7 and will include a sound stage, set and costume shops, and office spaces on Levels 2 and 3.

The BKL team analyzed Stage 8’s exterior envelope to ensure that external noise from sources like rainfall, road traffic, and SkyTrain wouldn’t impact the in-studio acoustical environment. Moreover, the firm made suggestions for appropriate doors and door seals, and specified acoustical treatment for the building’s exhaust vents and the vestibules between the stage and the exterior door.

Inside the studio, BKL reviewed plans for the demising wall to ensure it will provide sufficient isolation between the stages. The team also checked the wall and roof design for paths that could carry structure-borne noise between adjacent the studios.

To control reverberation times, BKL suggested adding acoustical lining and spray-on acoustic insulation to all four walls. Since some spray insulations can flake off and affect film quality, BKL recommended specific products for their suitability in film production applications. Likewise, treatment was specified for the adjacent set and costume shops, as well as offices and stairwells.

Furthermore, BKL reviewed the primary rooftop unit for Stage 8, and predicted interior noise levels based on available data from the unit’s manufacturer. This analysis revealed that noise from this unit could potentially affect all users, including film crews, so BKL provided acoustical treatment options, such as duct lining and silencers—that would help control the impacts of this noise.

Stage 9

While BKL didn’t provide the original design work for Stage 9, the firm was hired to assess a number of issues with external noise—from sources like rainfall, SkyTrain, road traffic, and aircraft—that were affecting the building’s usability as a sound stage.

Exterior of Stage 9.

BKL visited the site, visually inspected the building, including its external walls and roof, and took measurements to determine the sound isolation performance of the envelope. The acoustician found that noise made by passing aircraft and SkyTrains, as well as rainfall, were the primary noise sources.

After highlighting the specific trouble spots, the acoustics team made recommendations to mitigate noise ingress in those areas. Notably, Stage 9’s roof wasn’t sufficiently controlling aircraft and rainfall noise. Because the roof was slated for reconstruction, BKL consulted on the new roof to ensure its acoustical performance.

Once the recommended upgrades to the building envelope were made, BKL conducted follow-up measurements and found that the envelope’s ability to isolate sound was significantly improved.

Project Benefits

Through the years, for various projects including new studio builds, sound stage renovations, and noise complaint investigations, BKL has provided expert advice on room acoustics, sound isolation, mechanical system noise control, and more, helping Bridge Studios create an exceptional acoustical environment that meets the high standards of film production.

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.