The new Ogston Music School at St Edward’s, Oxford, provides state-of-the-art music facilities including a large rehearsal hall, recording suite, ensemble rooms, practice rooms, classrooms and ancillary spaces.

The building was constructed on a spatially-constrained site and to a tight acoustic standard, with careful detailing of all services to avoid compromising the acoustics in any way. In acoustically sensitive spaces the building incorporates full mechanical ventilation to allow these to be acoustically sealed and separated from adjacent spaces and the outside.

A reversible air source heat pump provides cooling to the acoustically sealed rehearsal hall and classrooms during hot weather. In colder weather, the system provides low carbon heating to the whole building. This system was located internally and ducted via acoustic attenuators to avoid noise affecting either neighbouring properties or students who might be practicing with the windows open.

All spaces have generous glazing to provide good daylighting, with the majority of music spaces located on the north east façade to avoid overheating due to this glazing. South facing spaces were provided with solar controlled glass and blinds to help to reduce solar gains.

The artificial lighting was designed to work with the daylighting and provides a good level of diffuse light that will illuminate sheet music on music stands that may be set up at a variety of angles. Daylight sensors and absence control to the spaces help to minimise the energy use of the lighting when there is good daylight available.