The ply boards filled and sealed.
A smoothing layer.
The finished floor.
The finished floor in different light.
The Studio Floor.
Introduction
BBC Scotland’s Riverside Studio at Pacific Quay in Glasgow required a high performance studio floor capable of supporting both multi-camera and robotic camera operation. Having previously installed Universal Television Studio Floors in Studios A, B and C at BBC Scotland more than a decade earlier, Elgood Industrial Flooring was invited back to design and install a new 160 m² operating surface. Working over a raised access floor with a plywood build-up, Elgood delivered a 6 mm Universal Television Studio Floor with a super flat, anti static finish, completed within a seven day programme.
Background
Elgood Industrial Flooring has a long-standing relationship with BBC Scotland, having installed studio floors in Studios A, B and C at Pacific Quay back in 2006–2007. Those floors continued to perform well after more than 11 years of use, giving the broadcaster confidence in the durability and reliability of the Universal Television Studio Floor System.
When BBC Scotland decided to convert an additional room into the Riverside broadcasting studio, their contractor Vertech Projects approached Elgood to provide a matching studio floor. The aim was to achieve the same multi-camera performance and compatibility with semi permanent studio paints as the existing studios, ensuring a consistent feel and operation across the whole facility.
The sub-floor in the proposed Riverside Studio was a raised access floor, meaning that a suitable intermediate build-up was required before the studio floor could be installed.
The Challenge
The project had several technical and performance requirements:
• Convert a raised access floor into a stable, flat base suitable for a precision studio floor
• Provide a super flat operating surface across 160 m² for multi-camera and robotic camera use
• Deliver an anti static finish to prevent nuisance static electricity affecting sensitive broadcast equipment
• Ensure compatibility with semi permanent studio floor paints such as Mylands, allowing the studio to be repainted between productions and scrubbed clean as part of routine maintenance
• Incorporate a one metre grid into the floor to aid set design, positioning and quicker changeovers
• Complete the installation in a seven day programme with Elgood managing both preparation and finishing using its in-house team
The Solution
Elgood Industrial Flooring engineered a complete floor build-up designed around the Universal Television Studio Floor Operating Surface.
Key elements of the solution included:
• Sub-floor construction
The raised access floor was overlaid with two layers of 18 mm plywood, glued and screwed together to create a solid, flat base. Screws and joints were filled and smoothed to prevent any imperfections from telegraphing through to the operating surface.
• Preparation of plywood
The plywood surface was prepared by sanding and then sealed with a penetrating, solvent free epoxy priming coat manufactured by Elgood. This stabilised the surface and provided a strong bond for the Universal Television Studio Floor System.
• 6 mm Universal Television Studio Floor Operating Surface
Elgood installed its Universal Television Studio Floor Operating Surface at a thickness of 6 mm across the 160 m² studio. The system was laid and levelled to deliver the super flat tolerances required for multi-camera and robotic camera work, eliminating undulations and surface irregularities that can disrupt camera movement.
• Anti static performance
An anti static finish was provided as standard, preventing nuisance static electricity that could otherwise interfere with cameras and other broadcast electronics.
• Paint-ready studio surface and one metre grid
The Universal Television Studio Floor was specified to accept semi permanent studio floor paints such as Mylands, which can be applied for different productions and scrubbed clean as part of normal maintenance. A one metre grid was formed on the floor to aid the design and construction of sets and to save time when switching between shows.
Elgood project managed and installed the entire system using its SMSTS and SSSTS qualified management and small, full-time in-house team, ensuring consistent workmanship and a single point of responsibility.
Outcome
The completed Universal Television Studio Floor at the Riverside Studio in BBC Scotland’s Pacific Quay complex delivers:
• A 160 m² super flat studio floor tailored for multi-camera and robotic camera operation
• A robust 6 mm operating surface installed over a carefully constructed plywood and raised access floor build-up
• An anti static finish that helps protect cameras and broadcast electronics from nuisance static discharge
• A paint-ready studio surface that accepts semi permanent studio paints and can be scrubbed clean as part of routine maintenance
• A one metre grid integrated into the floor, making set planning, construction and changeovers faster and more accurate
• A proven, British manufactured and installed studio floor system consistent with the existing floors in Studios A, B and C at BBC Scotland
By converting a raised access floor into a precision Universal Television Studio Floor, Elgood Industrial Flooring has provided BBC Scotland with another reliable, flexible studio space at Pacific Quay, supporting high quality broadcast production for the long term.
