A faith-based charity supporting girls, women and families, operates educational, residential and conference centres across the UK, Dawliffe Hall Educational Foundation (DHEF), recently completed a new development in West London comprising residential accommodation alongside a suite of on-site worship spaces – calling in Tateside to design and deliver the audio systems for these architecturally sensitive areas.
‘Although the building itself is newly constructed, the main church incorporates many traditional features, including panelling reclaimed from another place of worship,’ explains Tateside Director, Jack Cornish. ‘The project required close collaboration with the design team to ensure the technology complemented this distinctive blend of modern design and heritage character. Every element had to look right and feel fully integrated with the building.’
The combination of marble flooring, timber panelling and other hard, reflective surfaces used in the design created Italian architecture practice Sabbadin Corti presented a demanding acoustic environment, making controlled coverage and speech intelligibility critical. ‘We considered every loudspeaker, control point and microphone in terms of both performance and appearance,’ Cornish says.
Accessibility was a central priority to the project, with many residents also requiring assistive listening support. Intuitive operation, meanwhile, was essential for staff and support volunteers.
Two ultra-slim K-array Vyper-KV102 II line-array loudspeakers were installed in the main church, delivering the intelligibility required for spoken services and music reproduction without being imposing.
‘Rather than using conventional wall brackets, we mounted the loudspeakers on custom 3D-printed wedges,’ adds Cornish. ‘This gave us precise control over the angle while ensuring they did not protrude too far into the room.’ Two supporting K-array Rumble-KU26 subwoofers were similarly concealed within bespoke enclosures.
The confessional presented an additional challenge as using a conventional hearing loop risked signal spill beyond the room, potentially allowing conversations to be overheard.The team devised an alternative solution: ‘We installed a concealed Clockaudio in-wall microphone on each side of the confessional, paired with Sennheiser HD25 closed-back headphones and dedicated headphone amplification,’ Cornish says. ‘The audio is routed through the Bose DSP, where compression and processing improve vocal clarity, while individual volume controls allow each user to adjust the level to suit their needs.’
‘Although the approach is relatively traditional, it works extremely well and provides an effective accessibility solution without compromising privacy,’ he adds.
On the lower ground floor, a second oratory with ornate architectural detailing and a decorative panelled ceiling called for a simple, unobtrusive audio system. ‘We wanted to avoid introducing multiple visible loudspeakers into such an intricate ceiling, so we installed a single Bose EdgeMax EM180-LP near the front raised speaking area,’ Cornish says. ‘Its 180° coverage allows it to serve the entire room from one discreet location.’
With no permanent lectern, a wearable Catchbox Clip microphone and charging dock allow speakers to address the room with minimal set-up. Bluetooth connectivity, wall control and an Ampetronic hearing loop support music playback and speech reinforcement.
Tateside also equipped the lower-ground floor meeting room for hybrid collaboration. ‘A 75-inch Iiyama 4K display, Yealink MeetingBar A40, two wireless microphones and a touch controller allow staff to set up Microsoft Teams meetings quickly and intuitively,’ Cornish says. ‘The system introduces modern conferencing capabilities with minimal visible technology.’
The finished installation provides the clarity, accessibility and flexibility DHEF requires while allowing the architecture to remain the focus. ‘Drawing on our experience in high-end residential environments, we were able to focus on the finer details and select products designed to perform in demanding conditions. Each space presented a different challenge, but the result is a carefully integrated system that delivers clear, consistent audio throughout the building without drawing attention away from its design.’
To make services accessible for all worshippers, Tateside installed Shure MX412/S gooseneck microphones alongside an Ampetronic hearing loop system. An Audac wall panel provides Bluetooth connectivity for background or choral music before and during services, while two Bose wall controllers offer straightforward source selection, level adjustment and microphone control across the two audio zones.
In the adjoining oratory, two K-array GH4W full-range loudspeakers are integrated with the same Bose DSP platform, allowing the area to operate independently or share microphone and audio sources with the main church.