Today’s post features a summary of an interview with one of Vancouver’s BAP Acoustics founding directors, Eric de Santis. BAP Acoustics is an independent firm that provides options and advices in dealing with acoustics for internal and external environment. You can find some of their projects here. Eric’s primary focus is external environmental assessment. He works closely with his partner, Mark Gaudet, whose work specializes primarily in architectural acoustics. Other works by BAP Acoustics include computer noise modeling and noise prediction.
During the interview, Eric gave various pointers on understanding acoustics in commercial settings. Eric emphasizes that the type of solutions varies on the function and desired character of the space. The character of the space could be live or dead, depending on the amount of sound absorptive materials and number of occupants within the space. For a lecture hall where speech clarity is important, Eric suggests the space to have a low reverberation time1.
For applications similar to offices, where speech privacy is a factor, Eric suggests looking into the construction of wall and door types and how they are sealed. He also mentions a sound masking system that artificially raises ambient noise level in order to provide better speech privacy. These can be installed as speakers in plenum, ceiling tile, or in ground.
If you are looking to seek advice from an acoustic consultant, Eric recommends hiring a qualified engineer who is a registered Professional Engineer. They are trained to provide advices to their clients within their professional background and specialty, as opposed to selling products. Utilizing an acoustic consulting service early in the design phase can better predict and prevent noise issues from happening along the way.
1Reverberation time is a measurement of the echo within a space.
