Case Study

SFU Sustainable Energy Engineering Building (SE3P)

Year Completed

2019

Capital Cost

$116M

Total Size

174k sqft.

About This Project

Behind its circuit board–inspired facade, the Sustainable Energy Engineering Building (SE3P) at the Surrey campus of Simon Fraser University (SFU) features a light-filled atrium, 400-seat lecture hall, wet and dry labs, as well as work and study spaces, lounges, amenity and recreational spaces, student services, and more. The five-storey building accommodates up to 440 students and 60 faculty and staff.

Designed by Revery, formerly Bing Thom Architects, SE3P is home to SFU’s Sustainable Energy and Engineering (SEE) program, the first of its kind in Western Canada. It was built on a fast-track schedule, includes many sustainable building standards, and targets LEED Gold. SE3P is located in Surrey’s City Centre neighbourhood and connects to the community’s district energy system, which includes another BKL project, the West Village District Energy Centre.

Scope of Services

For SE3P, BKL consulted on the building’s interior acoustics and made recommendations to achieve criteria for background noise; reverberation times; and sound insulation performance of floor/ceiling and wall partitions, doors and seals, and windows.

During the design process, BKL suggested adding acoustical treatment throughout various labs and classrooms. One example is the lecture hall, which serves SFU and the community. The acoustics team wanted to achieve low background noise levels in the lecture hall, yet the space was intended to be used with concurrent activities taking place in adjacent rooms. To limit noise levels from these activities inside the hall, BKL recommended a resiliently suspended drywall ceiling, lobbied entrances, and robust wall assemblies. Controlling sound from the ductwork presented another challenge, as ventilation paths linked the atrium to the theatre. By specifying acoustically lined ducts, BKL reduced HVAC noise to a sufficient level.

Along the front side walls at low level, the lecture hall features wood finishes that create strong early lateral reflections. BKL added acoustic panels to the walls and ceiling, installing more panels toward the back of the hall. These panels counter the reflective wood surfaces by absorbing sound and controlling reverberation—all factors that help keep background noise levels at a minimum.

Noise reflections are a common acoustical concern for atria. And SE3P’s atrium has curved walls, which create more acoustical issues. With this in mind, BKL specified acoustical liner with a high noise reduction coefficient (NRC) rating under the soffits on each level, as well as under the balconies and bridges.

In addition to architectural acoustics, BKL consulted on the building’s mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. BKL reviewed shop drawings, equipment lists, and ductwork, and delivered specifications for acoustical upgrades where needed.

Project Benefits

When designing acoustics for classrooms, speech intelligibility is a key consideration. By providing advice on balancing sound absorption and reflection, and controlling background noise levels, BKL helped the design team optimize the acoustical environment within the teaching spaces at SE3P.

For the atrium and lecture hall, BKL worked closely with the designers to find project-specific solutions for the acoustical concerns in these spaces—all while working within the constraints of the project and keeping pace with the fast-track schedule. After the building opened, BKL conducted follow-up measurements in the lecture hall and found that background noise levels were very low. This confirmed that the team’s rigorous design approach had delivered the intended results.

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).