30th June 2020

Perega’s sound surveying for Pirate Studios

Perega has been chosen by recording studio disruptor brand Pirate Studios to provide structural engineering advice on three, soon-to-be-launched sites in London and Birmingham.

Founded in 2015, Pirate Studios has become a widely recognised name amongst the global recording and broadcasting community. A fast-growing company, it has significantly increased professional and consumer access to recording facilities, democratising the medium through competitive hire costs and automation of both the booking process and management of the building.

Each Pirate Studio, all located in retrofitted and refurbished former industrial complexes, comprise a series of sound-proofed recording suites, of varying sizes. The space has been designed to accommodate any type of recording from live music through to podcast creation.

Customers have the opportunity to hire recording space online, with minimal admin, and through the use of an advanced CRM system, can access and activate the studio with no need for on-site staff.

The original commission for our structural engineering services came from Pirate Studio’s new head of construction, David Lloyd, who has had a long association with Perega in his previous roles at Dixons, LA Fitness and Foot Locker.

Commenting on the projects, our Technical Director, Alan Lace-Evans says, “I’ve worked with David for a long time in his previous positions, predominantly focusing on retail and commercial fit-outs, so was delighted when he approached us to work with Pirate Studios on such an exciting range of projects. At this stage we have undertaken extensive building surveying and investigation, exploring the feasibility of each location and pinpointing any structural issues within the site.”

Perega was consulted on the construction of the studios at the Seven Sisters site, to see if any cost savings could be made. Employing his extensive structural expertise and knowledge of materials, Alan proposed a simple substitution.

Here he suggested replacing the standard SFS steel sections, used for the framework of each unit, with standard gyprock studs. Although lighter and cheaper, it was a substitution which could be made without compromising structural integrity or safety.

Alan has also advised Pirate Studios on ceiling construction, to accommodate a services platform between the height of the overall building and the top of each unit. This important consideration would allow for the service and maintenance of each studio’s A/C wiring and electronics.

Our structural engineers have also undertaken a rigorous assessment of allowable floor loads, crucial when repurposing any brownfield site.

At the Kentish Town site, Alan discovered the flooring was constructed of filler-joist concrete and, having done tests, found it had to be strengthened due to the marginality of the steel filler joists. Some of the flat roof timbers also had wet rot and a couple of perimeter walls were slightly cracked, so he had to undertake a brief specification to remediate those areas.

To date, we have offered expert advice for the fit-out of sites in Kentish Town and Seven Sisters in London and will offer the same service for an upcoming fit-out projects around the UK.

These projects mark the start of an ongoing relationship, where we will continue to provide structural engineering consultancy as new sites are acquired and scheduled for development.