Flamingo One, Surrey, BC

About This Project

Flamingo One is a landmark 35-storey mixed-use tower located in the rapidly developing Whalley District of Surrey, British Columbia. As the first phase of a master-planned community by the Tien Sher Group of Companies, this development represents a significant milestone in the area’s urban renewal. The tower combines residential units with commercial retail spaces and office areas on the lower floors, supported by key street-level tenants that contribute to a vibrant, walkable neighbourhood.

A major design challenge involved the building’s mechanical services. Both indoor and outdoor mechanical rooms are situated on Level 35, directly adjacent to several residential units, including one penthouse, eight apartments, and a common corridor. This proximity raised concerns about potential noise and vibration transmission into these sensitive residential spaces, requiring specialized acoustical expertise to ensure resident comfort and compliance with applicable standards.

Scope of Services

BKL’s focus was on protecting the residential units from excessive noise and vibration associated with the mechanical spaces on the 35th floor.

BKL’s scope included:

Acoustical design criteria: Establishing acceptable background noise criteria for residential suites based on American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards, as well as sound isolation performance targets for demising walls and floor-ceiling assemblies. This ensured compliance with Sections 5.8 and 9.11.1.4 of the British Columbia Building Code and sufficient attenuation of airborne and flanking mechanical noise.
Design review: Reviewing mechanical drawings and equipment sound power data to predict noise levels within the Level 35 mechanical spaces. Architectural coordination drawings were also reviewed to assess the sound isolation performance of demising walls and floor-ceiling assemblies, allowing for prediction of resulting noise levels in adjacent residential units.
Design recommendations: Providing targeted recommendations for acoustical upgrades to wall and floor-ceiling assemblies, as well as vibration isolation measures for mechanical equipment, to achieve compliance with ASHRAE criteria and support resident comfort.

Project Benefits

Working with Tien Sher Group of Companies, and the broader design-build team, BKL’s proactive acoustical review delivered key benefits to the Flamingo One project and its future residents, including:

Protecting residents: Ensuring that top-floor residential units are shielded from disruptive noise and vibration from mechanical systems, thereby safeguarding occupant comfort, privacy, and quality of life.
Ensuring code compliance: Verifying that critical interfaces between mechanical and residential spaces meet the acoustical performance requirements of the British Columbia Building Code, reducing regulatory risk.
Mitigating future liabilities: Identifying potential noise and vibration issues during the design phase helped avoid costly post-construction retrofits and resident complaints, contributing to the long-term success and reputation of the development.

BKL’s acoustical consulting ensured that the mechanical infrastructure necessary for a 35-storey tower coexists harmoniously with the residential spaces it serves, supporting the developer’s vision for a high-quality, well-designed community.

The People Behind Our Work

Our Technical Leads
Our Team

Trevor Cheng

P.Eng., MIOA

Managing Specialist Acoustical Consultant

Trevor Cheng, P.Eng., MIOA

Managing Specialist Acoustical Consultant

Trevor Cheng holds a bachelor of applied science (engineering physics) from University of British Columbia and joined BKL in January 2016, with experience in environmental and architectural acoustics, as well as condition monitoring, and machine vibration analysis and diagnostics.

With BKL, Trevor has primarily been involved in transportation, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects. His work experience includes measuring baseline noise conditions, predicting future noise environments, assessing noise impact, and offering mitigation measures where appropriate.

Trevor also has experience in architectural acoustics, working on hospitals, performance spaces, and multipurpose buildings. He is proficient in measuring noise insulation performance, reviewing building designs, and predicting noise levels from HVAC equipment.

Prior to joining BKL, Trevor worked in London, UK, on a wide variety of projects ranging from large-scale architectural renovations to major airport improvement works. He has unique experience in measuring and assessing noise and vibration in buildings from underground rail sources.

He also has experience using sound level meters by Brüel & Kjær, Norsonic, and Larson Davis, and software tools such as Cadna/A. He is familiar with ASTC/AIIC testing and using acoustic software including Insul, SONarchitect, and EASE for indoor noise predictions.

Trevor is a member of the Institute of Acoustics (IOA) in the UK.
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.
Joonas Niinivaara

M.Sc.

Specialist Acoustical Consultant

Joonas Niinivaara, M.Sc.

Specialist Acoustical Consultant

Joonas Niinivaara has practiced as an acoustical consultant since 2007 and joined BKL in May 2019. During his career, Joonas has conducted extensive acoustical measurements, assessments, and mitigation treatments on a variety of community, commercial, and residential projects in both Europe and Canada.

In 2017, Joonas co-authored multiple publications for the Canadian Acoustical Association on the acoustical performance of wood-frame double-shear wall assemblies and laminated drywall assemblies in concrete frame buildings. He has also presented papers on acoustical design in modern offices buildings to the Baltic Nordic Acoustic Group.

Joonas has recently worked under the TARION Builder Bulletin 19R program for multi-occupancy buildings. In this, he has assisted project design teams, general contractors, and subtrades to achieve adequate acoustical conditions for all occupants by minimizing noise-related warranty claim risks from integrated building systems, while also maximizing acoustical privacy between adjacencies.

As a professional acoustician, Joonas has a particular interest in room acoustics related to concert halls, rehearsal rooms, and music facilities. He is proficient with ray-tracing computational software including ODEON, EASE, Pottorff AIM, and Insul software.