AKA LOOKS TO THE FUTURE WITH JOINT HGA PROJECT

AKA Design has supplied a range of studio furniture to the Futureworks creative media training facility in Manchester, working closely in conjunction with acoustic design specialist Harris Grant Associates.

The new audio training facility at Futureworks is a prime example of how AKA can work closely with architect and client to design a room where interior, furniture and technology combine to create a streamlined, ergonomic environment.

"HGA's design work has always stretched further than just the acoustics of the rooms, and technical furniture has always been essential to this," explains director Neil Grant. "We've found that the good working relationship we've developed over a quarter of a century with AKA has resulted in our being able to design and specify specific furniture and finishes which work in conjunction with our rooms and facilities - to the benefit of the owners and clients."

One of AKA's strengths is the flexible design service it offers, underlined by the fact that HGA works with them in a completely different way for each specific project. The Futureworks installation drew exclusively on AKA's flatpack range, specifically its ProCommand desks designed for Digidesign's D-Command consoles. However HGA has also used AKA's custom design service, or a combination of the two, to suit different budgets and installations.

"The Futureworks education model is built on the concepts of excellence, workflow and integration," says the facility's managing director Chris Mayo. "AKA's furniture solutions, combined with Neil's approach to studio design, have ensured that we have been able to realise these concepts in the build of the studio facility."

"We can integrate our own finishes across the range of furniture, making it an integral part of the design and installation, and modify and incorporate furniture into the technical system design so that it is less of an adjunct to, and more of an integral part of, the room design," continues Grant. "AKA offers flexibility, creativity and support to our design efforts, and at a price point that continues to benefit our clients."