CLIENT
Catholic Education Office
LOCATION
Scarborough, Queensland, Australia
YEAR
2013
PROJECT TYPE
Installation/ Technical Training Venue
Scope
Design and documentation of technical production systems including theatre, recording studio and broadcast facilities
Services Provided
- →Audio system design
- →Recording studio design
- →Theatre technical systems design
- →System integration planning and documentation
- →Collaboration with architects and acoustic consultants
The Brief
Southern Cross Catholic Vocational Training College (SCCVC) is a specialist education facility designed to give senior students hands-on experience in a range of practical trades, including technical production and media creation.
Auditoria were engaged by the Catholic Education Office to work alongside the project architects in designing and documenting the technical systems for the facility. The scope included a recording studio, television production suite and a 450-seat multi-use training theatre.
The aim was to create an environment where students could learn by working directly with professional equipment and workflows, preparing them for the types of systems and production environments they would encounter in the industry.
The Challenge
The theatre was conceived as a training environment rather than a conventional performance venue. Every element of the space needed to be accessible to students while still reflecting real-world production practice.
Rigging, lighting and audio infrastructure had to be flexible enough to support a wide variety of learning scenarios. At the same time, safety was paramount, particularly when students were working at height or interacting with rigging systems.
Alongside the theatre, the recording studio also needed to accommodate full class groups while remaining functional as a working control room.
Our Approach
The training theatre was designed as a flexible black-box space that allows students to explore every part of a technical production environment.
A tension wire grid was installed across the room, allowing safe access to rigging and lighting positions above the stage. The grid is supported by a series of load beams running the length of the space, with lighting bars mounted on beam trolleys that can be repositioned along the room. Additional beam trolleys equipped with chain hoists allow trusses, loudspeakers and other equipment to be suspended through the grid as required.
The grid itself can support up to eight people simultaneously and is surrounded by a catwalk system providing access and supervision points. Over 180 dimmer outlets are distributed throughout the grid, with additional channels available on the catwalk and at floor level to support a wide range of lighting setups.
The audio system was designed to remain adaptable. A DiGiCo SD8 console provides 48 stage inputs, which are passively split to the level one catwalk to allow connection of additional monitor consoles when required. Loudspeaker outputs are distributed throughout the grid so systems can be configured in different ways depending on the training exercise.
The recording studio was designed to support group learning as well as individual recording sessions. The control room is intentionally larger than typical studio spaces to accommodate class groups, while still functioning as a professional working environment.
Technical Highlights:
Audio Design
Theatre Training
• DiGiCo SD8 console
• 48 stage inputs with passive splits to level one catwalk
• NEXO PS15 and PS8 loudspeakers
• Portable RS15 subwoofers
• Distributed NL4 speaker outlets throughout the grid
Recording Studio
• Dynaudio AIR loudspeaker system in 5.1 mid-field and stereo near-field configuration
• Digidesign Control24 console
• 64 channels of Focusrite ISA microphone preamps
• Apogee analogue-to-digital conversion
Studio Facilities
- Oversized control room for teaching groups
- Main recording room and isolation booth
- Integrated monitoring and camera feeds for teaching and demonstration
The Results
The completed facility provides students with direct experience of working in a professional technical environment.
The theatre allows classes to experiment with lighting, rigging and sound systems safely, while the recording studio supports both teaching and real production work. Together, the spaces give students practical exposure to the tools and workflows used across live production and media creation.
Since opening, the facility has become an important part of the college’s vocational training programme, helping students build practical skills that translate directly into industry.
Acknowledgements
Our Client
Catholic Education Office
Seamus O’Grady and Paul Gibson
Project Team
Scott Willsallen – Audio and Control Systems Design
Ian Anderson – Lighting and Rigging Design
Peter Griffiths (Acoustic Studio) – Acoustic Design
Luis Miranda – Technical Support
Architect
Peter Morson – Thomson Adsett Architects
System Integrator
Rutledge AV, Sydney – Installation led by Bosco Tan
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