We integrate sound into a scheme from RIBA Stage 2 through to commissioning, so acoustic intent is fixed alongside the material palette and spatial plan rather than added at snagging.
Our three-phase delivery
Our delivery runs in three phases that map directly onto the RIBA timeline, from concept design through to handover.
Site and venue audits, reading the physical space for acoustic challenges and opportunities before a cable is run. Material-conscious guidance on how glass, stone and timber will behave and how we mitigate them early. System concept and schematics: CAD layouts, DSP signal paths and infrastructure the build team can work to.
Agnostic curation, with every component chosen for its performance profile, visual integration and fit for this exact context. Streamlined integration, engineered to the component level so the hardware is compatible on day one, not during snagging.
Installation oversight, making sure the physical build matches the integration schematics exactly. Room tuning and DSP alignment using measurement microphones and software to time-align, equalise and remove acoustic anomalies. A final polish for clarity, dynamic control and consistency across the whole environment, ready for handover.
We design the audio strategy, layouts, zoning and specification, and issue them to your contractor. Suited to projects with an AV installer already appointed.
We design and specify, supply the equipment, review the installation on site and commission the finished system.
We take the system from first drawing to handover: design, supply, installation and commissioning, as one accountable team.
Completed projects typically run between £20,000 and £120,000 across design, specification, hardware and commissioning. Design and consultancy can be engaged on their own.
Every engagement starts with a 30-minute Audio Strategy Review. Send us whatever you have: current plans, reflected ceiling plans, finishes, and how the space will be used. We will tell you what needs resolving, and at which stage.
Book an Audio Strategy Review →Architectural audio crosses several disciplines. Defining who owns each decision early prevents gaps, duplicated work and late-stage compromises.
Audio strategy, loudspeaker design, zoning, specification, equipment supply, infrastructure coordination and commissioning. Installation where it is part of our scope.
Spatial design, finishes, ceilings, joinery and visual intent.
Power, containment and electrical services, coordinated against our infrastructure requirements.
Physical installation, where separately appointed.
Formal building acoustics, sound insulation, environmental noise and statutory acoustic work, where required.
Sonic methodology
Not every project requires a full Cognitive Load Index assessment. Where acoustic comfort, occupancy and listening effort are central to the brief, we use CLI to examine how the room, system and people interact.
For more focused audio-system design or specification commissions, we work directly from the architectural conditions, system requirements and intended use without applying CLI as a scored assessment.
Read the methodology →Professional, transparent, courteous, and really crunched the job in a timely manner. The speakers sound, and look, incredible. Tariq was available throughout the install to answer any queries we had.
The difference wasn't simply better sound. The entire atmosphere of the space changed.
Reviews published on Google. Some predate the studio's current name and were left for Sonic Installations Ltd, trading as Sonic Design Studios.
We typically join at RIBA Stage 2, Concept Design, and stay through to Stage 5, Manufacturing and Construction, and Stage 6, Handover. Our three phases map directly onto that timeline, so audio enters the brief rather than the snagging list.
We attend design team meetings and issue specifications in formats compatible with contractor tender packs. Speaker positions, cable containment and acoustic treatment are coordinated against mechanical, electrical and lighting layouts to avoid clashes and rework.
At Acoustic Blueprint you receive a sonic strategy document, speaker layout and zone plan. During Engineered Procurement we issue a full specification schedule with product data sheets. At Precision Commissioning we deliver as-built documentation, measurement reports and an operational handover pack.
Yes. Early involvement produces the best results, but we regularly join later. We assess what is still achievable within the current programme and provide pragmatic recommendations that work within existing constraints.
Book a thirty minute audio integration review. We map the acoustic risks in your current scheme and the moves that resolve them.
