Case studies

Castle Cinema Room in Worcester, UK (3/9/2010)

By Finite Solutions

Finite Solutions was contacted by a private client who was initially looking for a high-end surround sound system to complement his existing living room. However, having visited our award-winning showhouse and experienced the variety of systems on offer, the client left knowing that what he really needed was a dedicated cinema room.

The combination of high-quality equipment and a 'boutique' style interior provides the client with a superb cinematic experience.

The brief

The brief was to individually seat eight people in comfortable, contemporary surroundings, allowing them to watch a variety of sporting events and Blu-ray movies. In addition, the client wanted to be able to access his extensive DVD collection through the cinema system. His young children and their friends should be able to use the cinema with ease and safety, while the equipment and media should be protected from damage or misuse.

Following a detailed site survey, it became clear that the room proposed for the cinema would be insufficient to deliver the level of cinematic experience that the client desired. We recommended making use of a double garage that formed part of a large stable block adjacent to the main property, but while this was a far more suitable location, it did present some additional challenges. Firstly, the security of such an extensive cinema system in a building separate to the main house was a major concern. Secondly, the client was keen to ensure that no sound escaped from the cinema that would disturb his neighbours or livestock.

Planning

Having received our proposal, costing and a detailed explanation of the proposed system, the client appointed us and insisted that we handle all aspects of the cinema installation, including the building, interior design and first-fix wiring.

We were initially concerned that the screen size might be too large, so we produced detailed 3D renderings that allowed us to show the client a virtual first-person view of the finished installation. The initial design revealed that the room was slightly too short to provide optimised seating positions for those on the rear tier of seats, so the client agreed that we could remove the existing rear wall and extend the building. This would not only vastly improve the performance and feel of the room, but provide an opportunity to create a central aisle, which formed a particularly pleasing feature.

3D renderings of the proposed extended building allowed us to map the appropriate equipment positions.

Once the basic room layout had been defined, Finite Solutions appointed an interior designer to specify and produce detailed visuals of the final colour schemes and soft furnishings. These plans and visuals assured the client of our attention to detail in all aspects of the design, not only for the general layout and interior design, but for the storage, cabling and access to the main equipment rack.

Detailed 3D renderings provided the client with an accurate impression of the finished interior.

The Solution

Triad Gold series in-wall speakers were selected to provide reference-level performance with high sensitivity and good dispersion. Used in an LCR configuration, these speakers allowed the 'sweet spot' to be enlarged to form a 'sweet zone' which encompassed the two inner rows of seating across the aisle. Triad Gold in-ceiling speakers were used to provide the side and rear channels, and finally two Artcoustic Spitfire subwoofers were used to provide rich, immersive low-frequency performance. The LCR and sub units were all mounted into a bespoke baffle wall covered by a Screen Research 8ft acoustically-transparent projection screen.

The client's entire DVD collection was stored on a Kaleidescape Mini system with 1.5TB of storage, eliminating the need to return to the main house each time a movie was required. A Denon DBP2010 Blu-ray player was added for new HD content, and a Sky HD box was added primarily to provide high-definition sports coverage. The existing house CCTV system was extended to include coverage of the external area around the cinema, and was also made available to view on the cinema screen.

Acoustic treatment and sound proofing

Because Finite Solutions retained overall control of the entire project, we were able to brief both the building contractor and interior designer to enable the acoustic properties of the room to be carefully managed. The room was lined with double-thickness acoustically-absorbent plasterboard, and all windows and unused doors were blocked up and sealed to eliminate any vibrations, and silicone isolators were employed to prevent sound from the cinema being transferred through the fabric of the building to the outside.

The straight lines of the room were broken up using feature panels which were backlit to enhance their appearance and provide discreet indirect lighting that is ideally suited to intermission illumination. These panels improved the acoustic performance of the room by absorbing any unwanted frequencies. The outer plasterboard walls were lined with fabric, not only to complement the design scheme, but also to reduce unwanted sound reflection within the room and transmission to the outer structure.

Innovative use of fabrics and interior detailing not only provides effective acoustic management but an interior design that creates real impact.

Lighting

As with any cinema installation, appropriate lighting was essential in ensuring that every visit to the room was special and that the lighting was at its optimum. A Rako system was used to provide four pre-programmed scenes of lighting - two dimmable and two switched circuits - controlled from both an in-wall panel and via the Philips Pronto Controller. The client had found the experience of controlling the hidden cinema in our showhouse via our Philips Pronto 9600 to be incredibly easy and intuitive, but in order to make the system as clear and simple to use as possible for his children and guests, he opted for the 9800 model, with a larger 6.4" screen.

The Pronto TSU9800 touchscreen provides control over all of the equipment in the cinema.

A Middle Atlantic rack system was used to house all of the equipment in a discreet cupboard located to the side of the projection screen. The entire rack is cooled using an extremely quiet extraction system to draw fresh air in and extract hot air from the top of the rack to an external vent.

The Middle Atlantic rack is cooled using an extremely quiet extraction system.

As far as power was concerned, there was a local distribution board already in the existing building, so this was incorporated into the scheme in much the same way as the rack, being located discreetly behind a panel to the right of the screen.

A discreet but accessible rack location was essential. The position next to the screen allows for effective ventilation to the exterior of the building.

Conclusion

The entire project including the necessary building work, interior design and installation took less than a month, an cost the client GBP85,000 in total. The client was delighted, not only with the attentiveness of the design and project management team but also the speed of the installation as a whole. As he put it, "I am absolutely over the moon. Having spent a large amount of money, I expected a great deal, and Finite delivered what they said they would, and on time." In fact he was so pleased with our work that he has since commissioned us to design and install a games room.

Equipment List

Runco RS1100 Projector.
Screen Research Clearpix 2 8ft acoustically-transparent projector screen.
Audio Control AVR1 7.1 surround receiver with HDMI switching.
3 x Triad in-wall Gold-6 LCR speakers.
4 x Triad in-ceiling Gold-4 surround speakers.
2 x Artcoustic Spitfire passive subwoofers.
Artcoustic PA-1800 amplifier.
Kaleidescape Mini System.
Denon DBP2010 Blu-ray player.
Sky+ HD.
Philips RFX9600 base station.
Philips Pronto TSU9800 touch screen remote control.
Rako lighting control including RAVIR interface.
Signature cinema seating.
Middle Atlantic rack and cooling system.

Finite Solutions Ltd is a smart home consultancy specialising in home cinemas, multiroom audio/visual distribution and lighting control.

www.finitesolutions.co.uk