INNOVATION September-October 2018

F E A T U R E

I n 2011, the World Health health and well-being. There is now no doubt that noise contributes to a range of conditions, including cardiovascular disease, sleep disruption, tinnitus, cognitive impairment in children, and just plain annoyance. In fact, the report says, in Europe alone, at least one million healthy years of life are lost each year due to noise pollution—and if you add in industrial noise, that number would be even higher. The report also ranked traffic noise second only to air pollution among environmental threats to public health, and pointed out that, unlike other forms of pollution, noise pollution is increasing. Bottom line: noise can be more than an irritating fact of life. It can lead to disability and, in some cases, to life- threatening illness. Organization released a report that analyzed city noise from a variety of sources, including planes, trains and automobiles, for possible links to human

The Pacific Family Autism Centre in Richmond, BC, includes clinics, labs, classrooms, a daycare, observation rooms and research spaces. P hoto : M ike C rane

farther. The European Commission, for example, has identified that the “effects of exposure to noise impact EU economies. They lead to a loss of productivity of workers whose health and well-being are affected by noise, put a burden on health care systems and cause a substantial depreciation of real-estate value.” In response, some countries, particularly in Europe, have developed strict regulations to reduce noise pollution caused by road, rail and airport traffic, industry and construction. Regulations in Canadian jurisdictions are not nearly as well developed. “We see the success of so many projects here compromised by poor acoustics,” says Bliss, “with little opportunity to remedy after construction.” That does not mean, however, “that it’s all negative. Regulators in BC may not be thinking about it much, but there are owners and managers who value acoustics and they may choose to design their new projects to a higher acoustical standard even than typically adopted in Europe.” The Pacific Autism Family Centre is a prime example. Finished in 2016, the centre is a three-storey, 60,000 square foot facility in Richmond purpose-built to provide a range of services, including

“There is a definite correlation—denied in the past, but proven now—between noise and things like higher blood pressure and heart failure,” says Mark Bliss, P.Eng., one of the principals at Vancouver’s BKL Consultants Ltd., which specializes in acoustical engineering. “Studies have also shown other effects, such as the fact that students learn less in classrooms with poor acoustics.” And the effects can spread even

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