1.5 ConEd Learning Hours
4:00 p.m. ‐5:30 p.m.
Canada is experiencing a housing shortage. Creative solutions are required to accommodate growth and meet the housing demands of today. Most available urban land sits close to light rail, freight rail, utilities, industry, airports, and other vital—yet disruptive—elements. As transit networks expand across Ontario, it is imperative to deliver comfortable transit‐oriented communities to promote density in new areas.
The architectural community faces a pressing question: how do you build healthy and affordable homes under these conditions? These challenges are not insurmountable, but they are not trivial. Densification has inherent risks; noise complaints and loss of enjoyment of property are significant problems to be avoided. Acoustic design within the urban din requires thoughtful planning to reduce risk and ensure well‐executed design and construction. This presentation will address the risks, considerations, and solutions to the obstacle of nearby noise and vibration for architects. Employing his years of experience working with architects, planners, developers, and municipalities, Nicholas cuts through technical jargon to deliver practical advice on ensuring acoustic comfort.
Learning Objectives
1. Identify red flags for noise and vibration: what will cause complaints and lower user enjoyment?
2. Describe practical methods to protect residents from noise and vibration on complicated sites.
3. Explain the limits and advantages of noise and vibration regulations and limits in Ontario.
4. Define the nuances of noise perception and its impact on the quality of growth.
Nicholas Sylvestre‐Williams, M.Eng., P.Eng., INCE Professional Engineer and Designated Consulting Engineer, Aercoustics Engineering Ltd
Nicholas is a registered Professional Engineer and Designated Consulting Engineer in the field of acoustics, noise, and vibration. He is a partner at Aercoustics Engineering Ltd., a privately held engineering consulting company specializing in the field of acoustics, noise, and vibration. Nicholas manages the engineering services of Aercoustics, and has worked extensively on architectural and planning projects, completing many studies on the noise and vibration impacts for proposed residential, industrial, mixed‐use, andcommercial buildings. He has worked on projects such as the Drake Hotel renovation, The ONE, 500 Lakeshore, 900 St. Clair West, and Manitoba Hydro Place, which, in 2012, was Canada’s largest LEED Platinum office tower and one of the first to be designed as climactically responsive. Nicholas has provided expert witness testimony at Civil Court and at the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB)/Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) on noise issues for land use planning projects. He has provided input on the master plan of Vaughn Metro Centre, Shoppers World, Pickering’s Durham Live, and Beltline Yards. Nicholas has presented at many national and international conferences on acoustics and has taught acoustic theory and practice for various organizations.