The University of Gloucestershire has opened a new sound lab and dubbing theatre designed by acoustic design specialist White Mark.

White Mark was recruited early on in the project to help the University write the technical specifications for the rooms on its campus in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

“Getting it right from the start is crucial for any project and we were delighted that the University of Gloucestershire adopted such a sensible approach to the design and build of their new facilities,” said White Mark’s managing director David Bell. “By working closely with tWO, we ensured that these facilities properly met the needs of the end user. They also significantly outperform the ridiculously low standards set by building regulations which, sadly, many educational facilities still use as their only guide.”

The University of Gloucestershire’s new facilities are on the top floor of an existing building and isolating them from other teaching spaces was the main issue White Mark had to overcome. The University’s new dubbing theatre is being used to teach sound design and sound for screen media to students on its BA Animation, BA Film and BA Television degree courses along with MA Film Making. The studio, which has a separate vocal booth and can accommodate up to 20 people, is equipped with an Avid S3 desk and Genelec monitoring that can be configured for either 5.1 or 7.1 surround.

Sound Lab, the second new facility, has been developed for the University’s BA Creative Music Technology course and the MA in Creative Music Practice. This large space can accommodate up to 50 people and has been isolated, acoustically treated and equipped with a special truss system so that 22 Genelec monitors can be mounted in any number of configurations, along with two subwoofers. This listening environment is designed for students studying immersive audio, sound design, live streaming and spatial sound for VR.

“Both rooms are amazing and sound incredible, but we are especially proud of Sound Lab because there are so few spaces like this within the UK education sector,” said Dr Matthew Lovett, the University of Gloucestershire’s academic subject leader, music and media. “We carry out extensive research to ensure that our courses meet market demand, and our investment in these new facilities is part of that process. For us, it’s essential that course design integrates with emergent technological developments, ensuring that our students are more than equipped to meet current and future creative and commercial opportunities head on.

“Students and their parents do shop around when it comes to choosing the right University and we want to make sure that the University of Gloucestershire is at the top of the list for music technology,” Lovett added. “It will also help us strengthen relationships with overseas universities, where we are collaborating at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.”