Guildford School of Acting
VolkerFitzpatrick completed a new three-storey theatre and technical school. The building includes 15 dance studios, tutorial rooms, and an entrance atrium with provision for a coffee outlet. The Guildford School of Acting is renowned internationally for its excellence in training actors and technicians in all areas of theatre and recorded media.
The striking dance studios feature exposed concrete soffits, 4.5m high ceilings and exposed M&E services. In addition, stringent acoustic measures were needed because of the performing arts usage and the building’s close proximity to the A3 dual carriageway.
Construction: Piled foundations. RC frame. External elevations combine traditional masonry facades, an Alocobond rain-screen cladding system, and a timber aluminium composite window and curtain wall system – all in a saw-tooth arrangement to create a very modern, naturally lit building.
Value engineering reduced costs without deviating from the design concept or compromising on the finish quality. Meticulous logistics planning and ongoing client liaison ensuredthere was no disruption to university activities