OUR SERVICES
Upgrades and Relocations
Studio requirements change over time. Businesses move, leases end, teams grow, or rooms can start to fall short. Clients are often faced with a simple question: improve what you have, or invest in something new.
Our upgrades and relocations work applies the same acoustic, structural and building services principles as our full studio design and build projects. We assess whether existing rooms can meet the brief through refurbishment, or whether rebuild or relocation is the better route. Where refurbishment is viable, we set clear expectations so scope, budget and building constraints remain aligned.
What we deliver
We provide upgrade and relocation support for existing studios, moves to new premises, and targeted problem solving, including reviews of isolation performance and practical remedial options where results are falling short of what is needed. Scope can range from light refurbishment through to more substantial work on isolation, room acoustics and building services.
We typically see three types of project.
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Bringing existing rooms back to a condition that supports current working practice. Typical scopes include reviewing monitoring layouts, updating or replacing acoustic treatment where it is limiting performance, improving background noise where practical and renewing key finishes such as flooring, doors, fabric finishes and lighting. The balance between performance led changes and a visual refresh is agreed at the outset so expectations and budget stay aligned.
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Supporting clients who are moving or expanding into a new building. Work often includes reviewing candidate spaces, deciding what equipment and furniture can sensibly be retained, and developing new room layouts, isolation details and service routes in response to the building’s structure. Phasing and downtime constraints are considered early so the move can be planned around ongoing work.
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Addressing specific issues that affect how a room performs or is used, without committing to a full rebuild. This can include changes to layout or room use, monitoring upgrades, adjustments to treatment, reviews of isolation performance, and targeted changes to HVAC or electrical services where these are limiting outcomes. These projects typically focus on room acoustics, monitoring layout, isolation checks and local service adjustments rather than full reconstruction.
Technical and practical considerations
Upgrade and relocation projects begin with an assessment of what already exists and how it is being used. This typically includes structural type (reinforced concrete, timber joists, steel frame or composite construction), room size and geometry, existing isolation build-ups, adjacent occupancies, airborne and structure borne noise risks, ceiling heights and available plant capacity.
We assess the current acoustic treatment, monitoring arrangement and background noise levels to understand where the main limitations sit. For relocations, this is combined with a review of the proposed premises to identify isolation, vibration or building services constraints that will influence the new design and the achievable performance targets.
Mechanical and electrical considerations include low noise HVAC routes, fresh air provision, plant locations, technical power distribution, technical earthing requirements and cable routes between rooms, equipment racks and external interfaces. Where upgrades or relocations introduce significant additional dead loads through floating floors, isolation shells, secondary structures or equipment, we coordinate with structural engineers as required to confirm the supporting construction is suitable.
The outcome is a clear picture of which elements can be retained, which need to be replaced or redesigned, and what level of performance can realistically be achieved in the existing or new premises.
We begin by clarifying why change is being considered. This may be a lease event, a move to new premises, expansion, performance limitations in existing rooms or the need to refresh rooms that have become dated. At the same time we confirm budget, timescales and how much downtime is acceptable.
A site visit and premises review follow, allowing us to document the existing room build, layouts, building services, monitoring positions and any issues observed in use. For relocations we also review candidate spaces within the new premises so structural type, adjacencies, noise risks and service routes are understood before designs are developed.
From there we develop upgrade or relocation options. These can range from targeted interventions that fit within short shutdown windows through to phased refurbishment or full reconfiguration within the building or at a new site. Each option is supported by concise technical reasoning, indicative cost ranges and a view on likely performance and programme implications.
This gives clients a clear basis for deciding whether to upgrade, rebuild or relocate, and where budget will have the greatest effect.
How we work
Representative Projects
Next steps
If you are considering investing further in an existing studio or planning a move to new premises, we can help determine whether your budget is best directed towards targeted upgrades, a partial rebuild or a full studio design and build in a new location.
Get in touch to discuss your project.