The project is the first of its kind in the UK, transforming retail space into world-class education facilities. The 50,000sqft new facility, built in a £15m conversion of upper floors in Liverpool’s Metquarter retail centre, includes recording studios, rehearsal rooms, classrooms, and dance and performance spaces.
The air conditioning system, installed by Select Air Services Limited and supplied by Cool Designs Ltd, is based on Toshiba Super Digital Inverter and Digital Inverter split systems, running on the lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant. R-32 has a GWP of 675, two-thirds that of R410A, the refrigerant it replaces, significantly reducing environmental impact. R-32 not only has a lower GWP, but can deliver an equal capacity to R410a with a 30% smaller refrigerant charge, further reducing total CO2 emissions.
Indoor units are Toshiba’s high performance ceiling-suspended cassettes, which were considered to be ideal for the application as they leave floors and walls completely unobstructed. To further improve efficiency, the system uses Toshiba VN heat recovery systems which capture energy from the exhaust air stream that would otherwise be wasted, and return it to the incoming air supply.
Peter Furlong, Technical Sales Director at Select Air Services, said: “LMA has an international reputation for the quality of its teaching in music, film and the performing arts. A high quality indoor environment is essential to enable singers, dancers and musicians to perform at their best. The Toshiba system provides this, with the inverter systems enabling fine temperature control to ensure comfortable conditions are maintained at all times.”
He added: “Toshiba systems are known for their quietness and reliability, and this together with the energy savings delivered by the inverter system, makes it an ideal solution for such demanding applications.”
The college offers BA Degree and BTEC courses in music, musical theatre, film and television, games animation, acting and dance to some of the country’s most talented young people. LMA moved into the Metquarter site in September 2020. The new Liverpool campus is part of LMA’s wider expansion plans, which included opening a London Campus at the iconic Here East complex on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
Richard Wallace, Co-founder and CEO of LMA said: “When creating world-class facilities for students to thrive, it’s vital that we can control all aspects of the environment to make them as comfortable as possible. When you have Premier League-standard players you need the best pitch possible to enable their talents to flourish.”