AV Consultants | Independent Audio Visual Consultancy

Designing AV Solutions That Connect, Engage, and Perform

Independent AV Consultants for Education, Corporate & Specialist Spaces

Drama by Design are independent AV consultants providing specialist audio visual consultancy, system design and technical project support for education, corporate, performance and specialist environments across the UK and internationally.

We work with clients, architects and multidisciplinary design teams to create AV systems that are reliable, intuitive to operate, properly integrated into the building and appropriate for the people who will use them.

From early-stage feasibility and AV strategy through detailed design, specification, procurement, installation, testing and commissioning, our AV consultants can support the complete project lifecycle.

Independent Audio Visual Consultancy

Modern buildings increasingly depend on audio visual technology for communication, teaching, collaboration, presentation and hybrid working.

However, successful AV design involves considerably more than choosing screens, cameras and loudspeakers.

The AV systems must be developed around how each space will actually be used and coordinated with the architecture, furniture, lighting, acoustics, IT infrastructure, mechanical and electrical services and interior design.

Drama by Design provides independent AV consultancy to help clients make informed decisions and ensure that these requirements are considered from the beginning of the project.

Our AV Consultancy Services

Our audio visual consultants provide advice and design services including:

AV feasibility studies and strategy
User consultation and technical briefing
AV system design
AV infrastructure design
Equipment specifications and schedules
Presentation and display systems
Projection and large-format displays
Audio and sound reinforcement
Microphones and speech reinforcement
Video conferencing
Hybrid meeting and teaching systems
Lecture capture
PTZ camera systems
AV over IP
Control systems and user interfaces
Digital signage
Collaborative learning technologies
Immersive AV environments
Podcast and media facilities
Specialist teaching and simulation spaces
Equipment racks and technical rooms
Cable routes and containment requirements
Budget planning and value engineering
Tender documentation
Contractor coordination
Installation inspections
Testing and commissioning

Every system is designed around the operational requirements of the project rather than around a particular manufacturer’s product range.

AV Consultants for Architects & Design Teams

We regularly work with architects and multidisciplinary design teams to integrate AV requirements into new and refurbished buildings.

Early involvement is particularly valuable because decisions relating to room layout, viewing distances, ceiling heights, lighting, acoustics, furniture, power, data infrastructure, equipment locations and cable routes can significantly affect the final AV solution.

Our AV consultants provide the specialist information required by the architect, electrical engineer, IT team and other consultants, helping ensure the technology is properly coordinated rather than treated as a late addition to the building.

AV Consultancy for Schools, Colleges & Universities

Education is one of our key areas of AV consultancy.

We design AV systems for schools, colleges and universities covering spaces such as:

Lecture theatres
Teaching rooms
Laboratories
Simulation and clinical skills environments
Seminar rooms
Collaborative learning spaces
Meeting rooms
Auditoria
Student social spaces
Performing arts facilities
Recording and podcast studios
Specialist media facilities

The emphasis is always on creating systems that are straightforward to operate, consistent where appropriate and robust enough for intensive day-to-day use.

At Edge Hill University’s Life Sciences Building, for example, Drama by Design provided design, coordination, project management, testing and commissioning for AV systems throughout the new facility, including divisible teaching laboratories, seminar rooms, lecture capture, hybrid teaching, PTZ cameras and AV-over-IP connectivity.

Corporate AV Consultancy

We also provide independent AV consultancy for corporate and professional environments.

Projects can range from individual meeting and presentation rooms to complex, building-wide systems and immersive environments.

Our work can include meeting-room AV, video conferencing, hybrid collaboration, presentation systems, digital signage, divisible rooms, council and board chambers, event spaces and specialist facilities.

The objective is not simply to install technology, but to create an environment in which the technology supports the activity taking place without becoming an obstacle to it.

AV Design for Specialist Spaces

Some environments require AV solutions that fall outside conventional meeting-room or teaching-room design.

Our experience includes AV systems for theatres and auditoria, clinical and simulation facilities, laboratories, nightclubs and bars, conference facilities, flexible event spaces, recording and media environments, council chambers, immersive spaces and other specialist applications.

These projects often require close coordination between AV, acoustics, lighting, specialist technical systems and the architecture of the space—areas in which Drama by Design’s wider theatre, studio and acoustic consultancy experience can be particularly valuable.

AV Consultant or AV Integrator?

An independent AV consultant and an AV integrator perform different roles.

An AV consultant works for the client and design team to establish requirements, develop the system design, prepare specifications and help evaluate proposed solutions.

An AV integrator or specialist contractor is normally responsible for supplying, installing and configuring the equipment.

Keeping these roles separate can provide greater transparency and allow systems to be competitively tendered against a clearly defined specification.

As independent AV consultants, our recommendations are based on the needs of the project rather than an obligation to sell particular products.

AV Consultancy from Concept to Commissioning

Drama by Design can remain involved throughout the project:

Feasibility & AV Strategy
Establishing user requirements, technical objectives, project constraints and initial budgets.

Concept Design
Developing the AV approach for each space and coordinating key requirements with the wider design team.

Detailed Design & Specification
Producing system designs, technical specifications, equipment schedules and coordinated information for tender and construction.

Procurement & Construction
Supporting tender evaluation, reviewing contractor proposals and monitoring installation against the design.

Testing & Commissioning
Testing completed systems, reviewing operation and identifying defects before final handover.

Maintaining specialist AV consultancy throughout these stages helps preserve the original operational and technical objectives of the project.

Designing AV Around the User

A technically sophisticated system is of little value if users find it difficult to operate.

Usability therefore forms a fundamental part of our AV design process.

We consider how different users will interact with each space and develop control systems and workflows accordingly. Where appropriate, complex processes can be automated behind simple user interfaces, helping reduce training requirements and support calls.

Future-Ready AV Design

Technology changes quickly, but buildings have much longer lifespans.

Our AV consultants therefore consider infrastructure, flexibility, scalability and future upgrade paths as part of the design process.

Providing appropriate containment, connectivity, equipment space and network infrastructure at the construction stage can make future changes considerably easier and more economical.

Talk to an Independent AV Consultant

If you are planning a new building, refurbishment or significant AV upgrade, involving an AV consultant early can help establish the right technical strategy before architectural and infrastructure decisions become fixed.

Talk to Drama by Design about your project and we can help define the requirements, identify potential challenges and develop an AV solution from initial concept through to commissioning and handover.