Sky Studios, Elstree

SKY/NBC, as the long-term occupier and onboard from the outset, were able to feed directly into technical and operational design matters, assisting UMC develop and deliver a series of emerging standards for the design of modern studio settings the use of which we hope will align commercial and environmental aspirations as a driver for positive change for the industry through future studio sector project work.

Planning permission for the scheme was granted in the summer of 2020, with UMC Architects novated to the appointed Main Contractor, BAM Construction, to carry out Architectural services throughout the construction phase of works.

Critically, creating successful studio buildings is a complex and costly undertaking, marrying as it does the exacting acoustic performance of a filming environment with the need for the fabric of the built form to be sufficiently flexible so that adjacent internal volumes may be reconfigured to suit the needs of potential production tenants operating at differing scales.

Through the reconfiguration of adjacent volumes, the largest internal filming space possible at Elstree is 60,000sq ft, although the opportunities to subdivide those same areas means that SKY can sub-let individual sound stages at a third of that figure.

The appropriate and proportionate distribution of filming space to pre/post production facilities as well as the inclusion of associated and critical infrastructure to support operators in the delivery of future output at varying scales means that all sound stages are fully equipped with sector specific M&E, welfare facilities and secondary structure, including high level gantries and runway beams installed to institutional standards for clear internal height and therefore equally suited to feature or HETV [High End Television] filming.

As a forward-thinking studio operator, SKY is mindful of the impact that the industry has on the wider environment. This outlook compliments UMC’s own aspirations to deliver more sustainable development that benefits end user health and well-being and ensures the responsible resourcing of materials and services.

The project brief for SKY Studios Elstree sought to create the most sustainable film studio development in Europe, succeeding in this respect by achieving a post completion BREEAM Excellent and an EPC+ rating as well as being home to over 13,000sq m of rooftop mounted photovoltaic panels which can generate 20% of the total requirement for power on site.

With an ambition to promote a meaningful reduction in non-renewable energy consumption across the sector, SKY predict that the combination of considered building design and operational management strategies will see the site on track to achieve net zero carbon under operation by 2030.
Further on site management strategies mean that incoming productions are not permitted to use single use plastics nor to bring fossil fuel powered equipment on to site. The WELL Platinum accredited Reception & Administration building offers specifically tailored meal choices for on site staff, focusing on healthy eating choices and promoting use of the considerately landscaped central plaza and planted site periphery as spaces benefitting staff well-being and improved mental health.