UK - Specialist real estate development company, Long Harbour, recently added two new urban developments to its growing portfolio: The Sessile in Tottenham, North London and Riverstone Heights in Bromley-by-Bow, East London. Both developments are residential co-living spaces, where apartment residents enjoy access to shared amenities for life, work and play.
London-based systems integrators, Tateside, were approached by Long Harbour to complete the integration of user-friendly AV systems throughout both developments.
“We’ve worked with the Long Harbour group on and off for several years,” reflects Joby Morris, project manager at Tateside. “In the past, we’ve designed systems for other Long Harbour projects, but this was our first time working on a project of this scale with the client. Whilst there are differences between the two sites, it was critical to design premium systems that would provide a consistent user experience across both developments.”
The Tateside team designed and implemented the systems across both developments from scratch, encompassing a broad range of spaces, from reception areas with background audio to meeting rooms and rooftop terraces. Key requirements were a system that would fit with the high-end spec of the buildings whilst being as user-friendly as possible. Plug-and-play capabilities for building residents and staff were required.
“The Sessile development was the larger project, with a greater number of communal spaces,” says Morris. “Here, background audio was required throughout the 10-storey building, plus AV systems for the rooftop Orangery events space, a communal gym and yoga studio and a shared medium-sized meeting room.”
On the other hand, Riverstone Heights, a 27-storey building overlooking the River Lea, required a background audio system in the reception and mezzanine areas. AV for an open-plan meeting room and presentation space on the first floor, plus an audio system for the rooftop terrace further extended the scope.
Martin Audio’s CDD series loudspeakers form the backbone of the background audio systems across both Long Harbour sites, with a Bose backend for amplification and DSP. A custom-designed app, based on the Bose Connect App, accessible on iPad, makes for easy system control for staff and apartment residents. Furthermore, digital control wall plates are integrated throughout.
At The Sessile, residents can enjoy access to a private gym and yoga studio, plus amenities such as a vinyl listening room and meeting room. Whilst the gym features a more performance-focused audio system, with 10 Martin Audio CDD6 loudspeakers and three SX210 subwoofers, the yoga studio goes one step further with an Epson projection system allowing users to share custom visuals to enhance the ambience. Audio in this space is from Bose, consisting of DM6C in-ceiling loudspeakers.
“On the top floor of both developments are rooftop terraces, where residents can chill out, enjoy the sunshine and the views over the city,” says Jack Cornish, technical director at Tateside. “We deployed the same solution across both spaces – Episode Terrain weatherproof loudspeakers in planters – allowing us to integrate good audio reinforcement without cluttering the areas with tech.”
Additionally, the Orangery at The Sessile includes a dedicated DJ area, requiring a performance system with various custom input plates to enable visiting artists to plug and play. Eight Martin Audio CDD6B loudspeakers and two SX210 subwoofers provide a party-ready system.
“From the reception areas to the rooftops, our involvement on the Long Harbour project allowed us to showcase Tateside’s wide array of technical specialisms,” concludes Morris. “The project required us to work across project management, system design, integration and more, and both ourselves and the client are pleased with the end result.”
