The Architecture of Sound Begins at Schematic Design
We work alongside architects, interior designers, hospitality operators and private clients to define the sonic intent of a space at the same stage that the architectural intent is being defined.
Sound, briefed at the same stage as the architecture
Most audio in built spaces is resolved too late. It arrives after the ceiling plan is fixed, after the joinery is detailed, after the interior designer has finalised the material palette. By that point, every audio decision is a compromise, a speaker that has to be visible because there is nowhere left to conceal it, an equipment rack that has to live in a cupboard that was meant for something else, acoustic treatment retrofitted onto a wall that was meant to be a feature.
Sonic Design Studios was founded to change where audio sits in the design process.
We are an architectural audio consultancy. We work alongside architects, interior designers, hospitality operators and private clients to define the sonic intent of a space at the same stage that the architectural intent is being defined. Loudspeaker strategy, acoustic behaviour, control logic, equipment coordination, these are design decisions, and they belong in the design conversation, not the snagging list.
Our work spans luxury hospitality, high-end residential, arts and culture environments, and selected design-led commercial spaces. Recent projects include Porto Arts Club, Dear Darling, Chotto Matte, and a number of private residences across London. Each project begins with the same question. What should this room feel like, before it is asked to perform?
We work in the space where sound, architecture and atmosphere meet. The aim is straightforward: rooms that sound exactly as they should, with no visible mechanics, no late compromises, and no fight between the audio and the architecture.
From the dancefloor to the design table
The studio is founded and led by Tariq Ibrahim. For over two decades, Tariq did not merely study acoustics in a laboratory. He manipulated sound in real time across the globe as an international music producer and DJ. This provided a rare and high-pressure education in how acoustic energy dictates human behaviour within physical spaces. He understands intimately why a poorly designed room destroys an atmosphere and how precise audio engineering controls the emotional response of an audience.
That practical experience of crowd dynamics is anchored by deep scientific application. Tariq co-founded Meya, a neuroscience based audio wellness platform that translates clinical research into everyday listening experiences.
Today, this exact intersection of live music culture, psychoacoustics and architectural discipline forms the DNA of Sonic Design Studios.
Private residences in Chelsea, Fulham, Mayfair & Knightsbridge
The Designer's Guide to Cognitive Load
Designing for neurological comfort
and human performance
Design for the
brain, not the meter
Our manifesto on designing for neurological comfort.
Why technically compliant rooms still fatigue
their occupants, and how to fix it.
Introducing the Cognitive Load Index (CLI),
a framework for measuring what people feel,
not just what the equipment records.
Featured in
Mondo-DR
Claude’s at Chotto Matte
Architecture Magazine
Bisushima at Page 8 Hotel
See the work
Case studies from restaurants, members’ clubs, residential projects and events across London and internationally.
View portfolioRead the framework
Our design philosophy and the three-stage process that ensures audio is resolved at the right moment in every project.
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Whether you have a live project or an early-stage brief, we are happy to talk through what’s possible.
Get in touchLet's work together.
Considered hospitality. Private residential. Performance environments.
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