London based, award winning digital music school, Point Blank, has new state-of-the-art premises thanks to a fit out designed by LOM architecture and design, delivered by contractors Parkeray.
The fit out of Point Blank’s new premises in Hoxton has allowed the school, who’s alumni include amongst others Leona Lewis, Gemma Cairney (BBC Radio 1) and Claude Vont Stroke (techno producer), to expand its teaching facilities with seven studios, live room, lounge, kitchen and office. Crucially this is all organised around a central student hub, a busy, vibrant and flexible space at the heart of the premises for students to hang out, work, share ideas and perform in.
“Featuring an awesome chill out area to rival Shoreditch House, our students can rest assured they will be learning in the world’s very best music production school” says Rob Cowan, Point Blank CEO, describing the state-of-the-art facilities.
“Our brief was to design an environment that gives students a flavour of life in a recording studio, to excite students and really differentiate Point Blank from its competitors” says Simon Bird, director of LOM. “The spaces have been designed to provide an intimate teaching environment with a personal and friendly feel, whilst accommodating the best and latest equipment, all organised around a central social hub space.”
Architect’s view
Two of the teaching studios include full mixing desks which open onto a shared live room to allow students to learn about the recording process and studio techniques. Other studios are provided for classes in singing, DJing, radio, music production and sound design. The tightly designed 540m2 school has bespoke furniture that maximises the use of the space and yet remains as flexible as possible to allow for change in courses and equipment in the future.
It was really important to present the equipment in the best way possible within a tight footprint to really make the most of the space and create intimate but tidy and well organised teaching spaces. Prototyping of these bespoke workstations was a key step in the design process to make sure this would work and accommodate the school’s requirements.
The building itself had its own challenges. The space was originally an open plan office so the change of use to an education facility required some considerable acoustic treatment resulting from the nature of the college and the fact it is surrounded by residential accommodation.
The surface fixed and exposed services give an industrial aesthetic that is continued in the concrete soffit, the use of stencilled signage cut out of steel plate and spray paint applied to walls, the choice of light fittings and selection of robust materials which will develop with the space as it is used.
The result is a unique home for this boutique university with a real sense of identity that appeals to students and moves this business to the next level.
Project data
Location Hackney, London
Type of project Interior
Client Point Blank Music College
Interior Design LOM architecture and design
Floor space 540m2
Duration 14 weeks
Quantity surveyor Potter Raper Partnership
M&E consultant Pinnacle ESP
Main contractor Parkeray
If you have an education project you’d like to discuss, please get in touch with Simon Bird:
+44 (0)20 8444 2999
mail@lom-fdp.com