Design AV Europe has successfully delivered a highly flexible, future-focused AV installation for The Investment Association’s (IA) new headquarters at the Folgate Building, part of London’s Norton Folgate redevelopment near Spitalfields. The project was delivered in close collaboration with ISCVE supporting members Audiologic and Shure, bringing together thoughtful system design, discreet integration and robust collaboration technology.

The IA, which represents more than 240 member firms and over £9 trillion in assets under management, relocated to the Folgate Building in September. With around 90 staff based at the site, the organisation required a headquarters designed to support collaboration, hybrid working and large-scale member engagement, while remaining sympathetic to the building’s architectural character.

Designing for flexibility and heritage constraints

The Folgate Building combines sensitively restored period properties with contemporary new-build spaces. Internally, exposed finishes, slab-to-slab construction and the absence of ceiling voids presented significant challenges for AV integration, with all technology required to be visually discreet and surface-mounted.

Appointed as consultant and project lead, Design AV Europe developed an end-to-end AV solution that delivers consistency across a range of spaces, including a 26-seat boardroom, two divisible conference rooms, three Microsoft Teams Rooms, and a multipurpose café and town hall used for staff events and presentations.

Close collaboration with interior designers ensured loudspeakers, microphones and cable routes were carefully integrated into the architectural design, with finishes matched wherever possible to surrounding materials.

Integrated AV ecosystem with Shure and Q-SYS

Working with Audiologic, Design AV specified and supplied a fully integrated AV ecosystem built around Q-SYS control and audio processing, Shure conferencing and wireless microphone systems, and Unilumin display technology. The system supports both in-person and remote collaboration, providing a consistent user experience across all meeting and event formats.

A key requirement was the implementation of Shure’s voice lift technology to ensure clear, natural speech reinforcement throughout the boardroom, conference rooms and town hall. Ceiling array microphones were embedded into suspended acoustic panels, while slab-mounted loudspeakers were fitted with custom housings to maintain a clean visual aesthetic.

For larger events and streamed meetings, the town hall supports Microsoft Teams broadcasting, with near- and far-end audio routed separately to optimise intelligibility for both in-room and remote participants. IA’s existing Shure MicroFlex Wireless system was also repurposed to provide handheld, boundary and belt pack microphones for flexible event use.

Simple control and scalable infrastructure

All AV devices are managed via Q-SYS, with custom user interfaces providing intuitive one-button control for room modes, source selection and room combining. AV traffic is isolated from the corporate IT network, improving system stability while allowing for future expansion.

According to Design AV Europe Director Damian Orritt MInstSCVE, the project required a re-think of conventional installation approaches:

“The lack of ceiling voids forced us to rethink traditional methods. By embedding Shure ceiling array microphones into suspended acoustic panels and designing custom housings for slab-mounted loudspeakers, we were able to achieve both acoustic performance and visual integration.”

Collaboration with trusted industry partners

Audiologic provided technical support throughout the project, including system validation and live demonstrations at Shure’s Rose Experience Centre in London to support stakeholder buy-in.

Reflecting on the collaboration, Orritt commented:

“Audiologic were instrumental from the outset. From technical validation to fast turnaround on changes and ongoing support, having a distributor and technology partner fully invested in the project made a real difference.”

Jessica Raraty, Business Manager at Audiologic, added:

“Working with Design AV Europe on this project was a pleasure. Clear communication, professionalism and trust made it possible to deliver exactly what was needed, when it was needed, and achieve an excellent outcome for the client.”

A model for modern, member-focused workplaces

The completed installation provides The Investment Association with a flexible, inclusive and future-ready AV environment that supports hybrid working, member engagement and evolving operational needs — demonstrating how thoughtful system design and strong collaboration between integrators, manufacturers and distributors can deliver outstanding results.

Find out more here:

audiologic.co.uk