Isledon Arts CIC requested our help to repurpose a small, underused room within LIFT Youth Hub, an Islington youth services charity, and turn it into a new recording studio. We engaged Arup Acoustics to advise on the best way to isolate the sound from outside to prevent any disruption to recording, but also to prevent any noise break-out from the recording studio affecting activities in other parts of the building.

The existing flooring was lifted, with acoustic insulation fitted between the original Victorian joists before a new, fully isolated floor was provided to prevent transmission of any noise or vibration into the structure below. New internal walls were built off the isolated floor and a new, structurally independent ceiling was installed spanning between the new isolated walls, with the entire structure supported off the new isolated floor structure. An acoustically-rated recording room window and steel door were provided to ensure there were no acoustic weak spots. An acoustically attenuated ventilation system ensures the super silent delivery of fresh air to the space.

LIFT Youth Hub held design workshops with young people to obtain their input in terms of what the internal finishes and feel of the space would be and the latest recording equipment was specified by LIFT’s own in-house studio engineer and producer, himself a former attendee of the Youth Hub.

 The result is a near-professional quality recording studio on a shoestring budget, perfect for composing, voiceovers, songwriting and recording, mixing, mastering and making podcasts.