Designing for international film studios - BDP joins our BFI event
Above: studio at Deluxe Entertainment Toronto (by BDP) Deluxe occupies a three-storey space in a renovated 1990s data centre that contains open concept workspaces, a welcoming atrium and highly specialized post-production facilities for movies and videos. Boasting a custom private cinema for client screenings on the top floor, Deluxe exemplifies how an underused office building can be tailored to accommodate even the most unusual and specialised clients.
Principal and Head of Design at BDP, Mark Simpson, in London and Caroline Robbie, Head of Media Environments in Toronto will be joining our creative industries and cities forum, at the British Film Institute this March.
Mark is a Principal and Board Director. He is Chair of the Design profession, a global team of interior and graphic designers, workplace strategists and wayfinding experts. He is also head of the Workplace sector at BDP.
Caroline aims to achieve solutions to design challenges approaching her work through a perspective that is grounded in art.
She has led teams on a number of design-forward and award-winning projects including the Deluxe studios in Toronto, Los Angeles and New York, Artscape Daniels Launchpad, OCAD U CO along with the Corus Entertainment workplace, 60 Atlantic Avenue and its sister site, 80 Atlantic in Liberty Village and BDP Toronto’s own studio. Her role as a thought-leader in the industry and in the workplace is strengthened by conceptual design installations at major exhibitions and industry events.
Caroline is a former director and board member for Ontario and Canada’s professional associations for interior design as well as serving on the board of the Toronto Arts Foundation and the Advisory Board for Creative Cities International based in New York City. She has over 40 years' experience in the industry internationally as a former director of Alsop Architects Ltd.
In London, BDP is currently lead consultant and design delivery architect for Google's new UK headquarters at King's Cross, alongside concept architects Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG).
The project utilises a large area of land alongside Kings Cross Station and comprises of over 60,400 sqm of prime office space, providing accommodation for up to 4,500 people across 11 storeys set above retail and an events and training centre at ground floor. The office accommodation will also provide ancillary spaces including cafes, a gym, multi use games area (MUGA) and pool facilities. At roof level, landscaped terraces and a running track will provide outdoor amenity and recreation space for employees.
A combination of active and passive environmental design considerations have been incorporated with the project targeting a minimum of BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and LEED ‘Gold’ with an aspiration of achieving ‘Outstanding’ and ‘Platinum’ respectively. This new building, combined with the current building at 6 Pancras Square and an additional third building, will create a Google campus with the potential to house 7,000 Google employees.
The new building is being developed from the ground up and will contribute to the Knowledge Quarter and King’s Cross’s growing knowledge based economy. This building will be the first wholly owned and designed Google building outside the United States. BDP are providing Cat A architectural, interior design and lighting design services.
The firm has also helped the University of York create a new building for students to study film - One of four academic buildings forming part of the Heslington East Campus at the University of York. The building for the department of theatre, film and television offers a full range of up-to-date technical facilities designed to professional standards including a variety of performance spaces. The facility includes two fully equipped TV studios with control rooms, a 150-seat screening room equipped to modern cinema standards with digital projection and Dolby surround sound, a flexible black box theatre space doubling as a shooting stage for film and TV work, and a 200 seat ‘Scenic Stage’ theatre.