Perth Film Studios
The Perth Film Studios is Western Australia’s first dedicated screen production facility designed to attract major international and domestic film and television projects. The complex features multiple purpose-built sound stages, a screening room, construction workshops, and modern production offices on a 16-hectare site. As a key project for the WA Government, it solidifies the state's position as a premier destination for screen production.
MDA was engaged from the project’s inception—leading the initial site feasibility noise investigations within the Fremantle Port precinct and subsequently assisting with the project’s development through to delivery at the final site in Malaga.
CLIENT
H–U / Built
LOCATION
Perth, WA
COMPLETED
2025
Our Scope
MDA provided comprehensive, end-to-end services for the project, with involvement from initial site selection, design concepts, detail design through to completion. Our scope of work included:
Strategic site feasibility & environmental analysis: We conducted detailed site viability studies at the earliest stages, for both the original proposal at Victoria Quay and the final location at Malaga. This critical analysis informed site selection and established the baseline acoustic performance requirements needed to insulate the facility from the surrounding environment.
Brief development: MDA engaged with film industry professionals and site operators to draw on their experience from comparable projects, identifying best-practice approaches and common pitfalls to inform a pragmatic, effective technical noise specification.
Building envelope acoustic design: We performed detailed acoustic design of the building envelope for all structures, engineering the high-performance, but cost-effective facade and roofing systems essential for functionality of the sound stages. Aircraft, rail, traffic and site operations noise were key drivers for the design.
Mechanical services advice: We provided detailed acoustic design input for mechanical services to ensure background noise levels within the sound stages and met the demanding criteria required for professional recording.
Acoustic design for support facilities: We managed the acoustic design for all ancillary spaces, including studio annexes, construction workshops, and production offices, ensuring functional acoustic separation between noisy and quiet activities across the entire site.
Construction & commissioning: Our team remained involved throughout the construction phase, providing oversight to ensure design integrity was maintained, followed by final acoustic testing and commissioning to verify that the completed facility met its performance targets.
Challenges
While the Malaga site presented a lower risk profile than the active port location at Victoria Quay, it was not without acoustic challenges. Aircraft noise from an overhead flight path and traffic noise from surrounding road infrastructure were identified and then quantified through comprehensive site surveys. Future noise sources were also assessed, including the recently completed Ellenbrook rail line, the proposed adjacent Malaga Sports Precinct, and operational noise associated with site activities such as temporary services (generators & chillers), heavy vehicle movements, and workshop operations.
Noise contributions from each source were quantified using targeted surveys and validated reference data to define performance requirements for all critical building elements, including roofs, external walls, and large-format acoustic doors (“elephant doors”). Working in close collaboration with the design team, MDA helped develop cost-effective technical solutions, including an enhanced single-skin wall system that simplified the construction methodology while reducing programme duration.
Beyond environmental noise control, high-performance acoustic separation was required between adjacent sound stages as well as annex buildings. This was achieved through discontinuous construction techniques and resilient structural connections to optimise building isolation, enabling independent operation of spaces when required. As with all high-performance acoustic spaces, this demanded precise detailing and rigorous site supervision to ensure design intent was achieved in construction.
“In the design of the Perth Film Studios, the acoustic performance of the four Sound Stages was a critical element in ensuring the facility would meet strict industry requirements in operations. Marshall Day worked diligently and professionally throughout the design and construction phases to assist in delivering a successful outcome, and I would not hesitate in recommending their services.”
PROJECT TEAM
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