State of the Art Sound Stages
The Platinum Stages project was delivered in response to the increased industry demand for state-of-the-art soundstages. Inspections involved a twin soundstage, two-new workshops and office facilities to significantly enhance the ‘production village’. Located within a regeneration area, this undertaking represented a significant initiative for Elstree Studios. With a workable footprint of 34,556 sq ft it provides a wealth of new jobs and apprenticeship opportunities.
The proposal needed to achieve exceptional acoustic properties and needed to exceed the acoustic standards of similar developments in the UK.
Crucial to the choice of construction system was the speed of erection of the shell, to keep the “downtime” of the adjacent buildings to a minimum. The “wall within a wall” approach allowed for construction speed to be enhanced, as opposed to awaiting packages for the moveable acoustic partitions and doors. Utilised prefabricated timber cassette cladding was used, which was manufactured off-site. This improved health and safety conditions and reduced on-site installation time. It also produced cost-savings, and gave an overall installation time 10 weeks shorter than expected!
Oliver Dowden MP said
“With construction set to be completed in record time, this is a great example of our local council and national government working together to strengthen our creative industries”
This stage became the first stage (to our knowledge) to achieve a 70-decibel acoustic rating, with the second stage futureproofed to provide the same. The team worked collectively to revamp the existing design to bring it in line with the current building regulations and enhance its sustainable performance. The project itself, is a typical steel framed building however, through the installation of timber cassette cladding and other environmentally friendly materials such as green walls and photovoltaic panels, it can support and align with Hertsmere Design Guides aspirations.
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