The music cottageProperty Advisory
Music School's relocation
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BRM Projects partnered with The Music Cottage to help it find and build a new place for learning – from early planning stages through to completion. We handled the design brief, spatial analyses and test-fits and guided a team of consultants, including traffic engineers, town planning professionals, designers and disability and acoustic consultants.
“It was a great motivation to be moving and changing and developing a space that was unique for us.” - Penny Adeney, Director and teacher at The Music Cottage.
Facing the music: Dealing with acoustics requirements
Teaching cello, flute, piano, viola, violin and voice to children aged between 3 and 18 years, acoustics in the new space was a key consideration.
Penny explains: “We wanted an acoustically beautiful space but we also needed the teaching rooms to be acoustically separated from each other.” This required extra sheeting on walls, careful selection of finishes and custom-fitted acoustic doors.
There was another layer of sound requirements, too. BRM Projects guided The Music Cottage through the council approval process, including compiling a report that looked at acoustic output and sound levels and ensuring council requirements were incorporated into the plan.
Other requirements for a new home of education:
The new space: hitting all the right notes
While the Bentleigh address is The Music Cottage’s fourth home, it’s the first purpose-built space. And the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Everyone just walks around marvelling at the beautiful space and the light. We showed some families who have been with us for 12 or 13 years through first. The kids are all in their teens now. They were so excited, it’s beautiful seeing kids of that age get excited about a new space.”
And it’s not just the kids who are excited. Penny’s favourite area is the large sculptured room at the back which has an amphitheatre style layout, perfect for performance and group classes.
She’s also confident the new space will make her job even more satisfying. “It’s really so exciting to have the new space. We’re going to be able to provide more lessons and there’ll be more space within the teaching rooms so that will help improve quality of the lessons.
“It was a great motivation to be moving and changing and developing a space that was unique for us.” - Penny Adeney, Director and teacher at The Music Cottage.
Facing the music: Dealing with acoustics requirements
Teaching cello, flute, piano, viola, violin and voice to children aged between 3 and 18 years, acoustics in the new space was a key consideration.
Penny explains: “We wanted an acoustically beautiful space but we also needed the teaching rooms to be acoustically separated from each other.” This required extra sheeting on walls, careful selection of finishes and custom-fitted acoustic doors.
There was another layer of sound requirements, too. BRM Projects guided The Music Cottage through the council approval process, including compiling a report that looked at acoustic output and sound levels and ensuring council requirements were incorporated into the plan.
Other requirements for a new home of education:
- Natural light was another priority for the new space along with versatility. The music centre offers one-on-one teaching, group classes and recitals, requiring a centre which could cater to this range of uses.
- Pared back teaching zones to inspire focus and concentration without distraction (BRM Projects took inspiration from another project which involved designing a space for children with autism)
- Common areas which cater for traffic, gatherings, acoustics and instrument setup
- Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance for access, parking and shower/bathroom areas
- Balancing commercial finishes for longevity with softer tones and timber finishes for a nurturing and comforting feel
The new space: hitting all the right notes
While the Bentleigh address is The Music Cottage’s fourth home, it’s the first purpose-built space. And the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Everyone just walks around marvelling at the beautiful space and the light. We showed some families who have been with us for 12 or 13 years through first. The kids are all in their teens now. They were so excited, it’s beautiful seeing kids of that age get excited about a new space.”
And it’s not just the kids who are excited. Penny’s favourite area is the large sculptured room at the back which has an amphitheatre style layout, perfect for performance and group classes.
She’s also confident the new space will make her job even more satisfying. “It’s really so exciting to have the new space. We’re going to be able to provide more lessons and there’ll be more space within the teaching rooms so that will help improve quality of the lessons.
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