A chain of modern student accommodations in London, Urbanest recently completed its latest development in the shadow of the iconic Battersea Power Station
A PassivHaus construction, this sustainable, self-sufficient student living concept required an AV solution to enhance communal spaces across the property. Having previously worked with Urbanest on other sites across the capital, including Kings Cross and Westminster Bridge, London-based AV integrators, Tateside, were called upon to lead the technology integration across the Battersea project, from the initial design through to implementation along with ongoing site servicing and maintenance.
Tateside worked closely with the team at Urbanest to understand their specific needs around building sustainability and function and crafted a plan for a system that would complement the building’s architectural and energy efficiency goals.
“The project represented an interesting opportunity to design and implement a lot of different AV technology, from digital signage to meeting room solutions,” recalled Ben Landi, project manager at Tateside. “Overall, the project encompasses a cinema room, gym and yoga studio, three meeting rooms, a lecture space, plus digital signage and background audio throughout.”
Students staying at Urbanest Battersea have access to a communal cinema room, the perfect spot for movie nights with new friends. To provide a big-screen experience a 77-inch Panasonic OLED display with integrated soundbar was installed. "We wanted it to be simple,” confirmed Landi. “Students can bring their own devices, be it a PlayStation or a laptop and just plug them into the HDMI plate." This brings flexibility to the space, allowing students to enjoy a communal entertainment experience on their own terms.
For the onsite gym and yoga studio, Tateside deployed three pairs of Bose DM3SE surface-mount loudspeakers in the training area and two pairs in the studio, with input through Audac Bluetooth plates. “It’s a one-touch setup,” continued Landi. “Students can connect their phones and play their own music, making it feel more personal and more like home.”
The Urbanest student experience includes a purpose-built lecture hall, where residents can hold group discussions and share presentations. Here, a high-lumen Epson projector with a wide throw lens allows for large-scale visuals, with seamless content switching for user inputs via a Blustream HDMI wallplate and Blustream HDBaseT receiver. The 20,000-lumen projector overcomes the challenges of ambient lighting in the space.
A total of three meeting rooms provide videoconferencing facilities for both students and staff at Urbanest. In the two student-facing rooms, all-in-one Cisco Webex Room Bars were installed to support the much-demanded BYOD capability. “Using the BYOD cable, users can start a meeting on their laptop and use the built-in peripherals in the RoomBar,” said Landi. “Alternatively, if they have an existing meeting set-up, they can use the technology in the room and join on their preferred meeting platform using the on-desk Cisco Touch Panel.” In the staff meeting room, a Microsoft Teams ecosystem was requested to ensure compatibility with their preferred video conferencing platform.
Throughout Urbanest Battersea, digital signage was installed in the various communal areas, including lift lobbies and reception spaces to display community announcements and eco-statistics on sustainability achievements related to the PassivHaus standards. The signage content is managed internally by Urbanest using a Tripleplay system, whilst Tateside specified and installed the screens and managed the network infrastructure, choosing Samsung QM displays to ensure 24/7 signage without screen burn.
Upon entering the building, residents and visitors are greeted by background audio via three pairs of Bose DM5P pendant loudspeakers, selected for both their sound quality and aesthetic appeal. “The Bose pendants matched the pendant lights in reception perfectly,” added Landi. “As with all the audio at Urbanest, these are powered by Bose PS404D amplifiers, with Dante built in to facilitate networked audio.”
The collaboration between Urbanest and Tateside was key to the success of the project. From the outset, the client had clear expectations for a streamlined, user-centric AV system. Regular communication ensured that the technology met these requirements whilst adhering to the building’s sustainability ethos.
“At Urbanest, we have always had a great experience working with Tateside,” confirmed Daniel Baylis, project manager for Urbanest. “Their team have helped us find all the right AV for our buildings and our student residents. Tateside is always happy to help and offer guidance when scoping a new project. Their installations team follow this approach on site which we appreciate as developers and end users.”
The project presents an example of how carefully designed and implemented AV systems can enhance modern, eco-conscious living spaces, with good functionality and user-friendly technology.
