OSPE - The Voice - September 2017 - 26
Cover
MANDY
CHAN,
P.Eng.
Senior Engineer,
HGC Engineering
Sound is important. It affects
each of us every single day.
Planning through acoustic
engineering plays a pivotal
role in construction and
building across the province,
especially as land becomes
more scarce.
acoustical work we do, it is approval-based at the municipal
or provincial level, and sometimes even at the federal level.
For example, if a builder wants to develop a piece of land,
and they have to go through various approvals, many times
the noise or vibration study is part of the requirement.
Let's say a builder wants to construct a building next to a
highway, we would look at the impact of the road traffic on
the proposed building, and develop and design windows and
walls and other building facade constructions that would
meet the requirements of the various levels of government.
OSPE: A lot of what engineers do requires working as the
bridge between two entities. Have you found that to be true
in your work?
MANDY: Yes. Because my work is approval-based and
because I'm often working for the builder, I often have to
mediate and find a middle ground between what the city
wants, and the goals of the construction. I facilitate those
conversations so that a positive end result can be achieved.
It's one aspect of my job that I enjoy more and more;
becoming an expert and being called upon to resolve issues
to make positive change.
OSPE: Tell us about other aspects of your work that help
change the world for people and their enjoyment of their
everyday lives.
MANDY: I've written a few journals regarding architectural
Mandy Chan, P.Eng.,
is one of us.
As senior engineer at HGC Engineering she's helping bridge
the gap between developers, governments, and residents of
Ontario for seamless and effective noise control solutions as
the world is built around us.
OSPE: Why did you choose engineering as a career?
MANDY: Well in high school, you're always wondering what you
want to do, where you want to go to university, and a friend
suggested engineering. It appealed to me because it's such
a varied career; there are so many options and avenues to
pursue, especially in environmental engineering. I began this
job right out of university, and I was exposed to such a unique
field - acoustic engineering - it was a field I didn't even really
know existed. Once I got into it, working on the developmental
side, I discovered how important it is as part of the planning of
a development.
OSPE: Tell us more about that.
MANDY: Sure, well, this little noise component if improperly
planned, can hold up an entire development. So in terms of the
26
The VOICe
September 2017
acoustical engineering, which involves the design and
construction of theatres and concert halls; how best to
design them so that the sound works well. This applies
not only to large-scale theatres but other areas like school
theatres and even classrooms. Sound is crucial for allowing
a proper learning environment.
OSPE: How has your work evolved?
MANDY: Land use, and available land continues to be a
challenge. We try to have multi-use areas within the same
land and make it work from a noise perspective so that
everything works well together in more and more confined
spaces. You know, you need to have retail space alongside
residential developments for convenience, as well as
prosperity and commerce, but you also have to make sure
the two can co-exist seamlessly.
OSPE: More and more women are choosing engineering as a
career. What are your thoughts on that?
MANDY: Just 10 years ago when I first started, there were
women in the field, but I would like to see more. Early in my
career, for example, when I would visit construction sites,
you really didn't see a lot of women working in those places,
but I have found that in the last few years you're seeing
more and more women; women driving tractors, excavators
and things like that, so the environment is better now for
women.
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