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Case Study

UBC Music Building Renovations

Year Completed

2022

Capital Cost

$2.8M

About This Project

In the summer of 2022, UBC’s Music Building underwent extensive renovations to the first, second, and fourth floors to meet current programming requirements.

Scope of Services

As the acoustical consultant of this project, we worked with the architect throughout the design and construction phases to consult on room acoustics and provide recommendations for sound isolation between spaces and floors. For the noise-sensitive practice rooms, we provided advice for controlling the ingress of HVAC, mechanical, and electrical noise.

We also conducted two site visits. On the first visit, before the project began, we assessed sound isolation by taking measurements (of various musical instruments in some cases) through the existing floor structure and between some of the existing practice rooms. Our second visit was a site inspection during the construction phase.

Acoustical Challenges

The fourth floor renovations, in particular, provided an interesting challenge. The updates included a large lecture hall, new music practice rooms, and a number of studios and offices.

Our goal was to establish effective sound isolation between spaces and control sound transmission through the floor to the offices directly below. In addition, we wanted to ensure quality acoustics within all of these spaces, including the lecture hall, which features a grand piano.

Another concern was the potential for structure-borne transmission from the new fourth-floor facilities to the existing recital hall on the second floor. This required complete isolation of the practice rooms from the existing building structure.

The project was carried out over a compressed schedule to permit occupancy at the start of the fall semester. Even with the tight timeline, multiple design revisions were required due to existing space constraints.

Project Benefits

While the older building, which dates to 1968, and compressed schedule posed unique challenges, our team tailored its advice to meet the demands of this project. We worked closely with the architect and head of the music department, communicated the limitations imposed by the existing structure, and recommended measures that would optimize both sound isolation and room acoustics.

Despite the challenges presented by the building and schedule, the final acoustical design met the original project objectives and the facility opened on time.

The People Behind Our Work

Our Technical Leads

  • Paul Marks
    Paul Marks

    M.Sc., MIOA

    Vice President, Project Delivery

    Paul Marks

    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
    Katrina Scherebnyj

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

    Technical Director, Building Acoustics

    Katrina Scherebnyj

    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).