Bevan Brittan LLP, Bristol
Interior design: Claremont Interior Consultancy
Furniture & fixtures: Claremont Group Interiors
Audio-visual design & installation: Viewpoint
Architects: Abacus
Total budget: £1m
Completion : December 2006
The Challenge
To provide high specification audiovisual systems for seminar, board, meeting and training rooms as well as information displays for reception and restaurant areas. Meeting room specifications to include automated control of DVD & Video cassette playback, TV, display of PC images from both remote laptop and dedicated PCs to be displayed on large format flat panel displays.
Seminar room specifications to include the above plus integrated control over lighting levels and voice reinforcement with induction loop systems for 2 No. presenters, displaying media on a large format, automated , front projection screen.
The solution
In the meeting rooms, visual display was provided in the form of 55" and 63" wall mounted plasma screens, allowing for the presentation of images from VCR, DVD, PC (controlled with a radio frequency keyboard and mouse), laptop PC (with connection at desktop), and digital TV.
Audio was provided via a stereo amplifier and full range loudspeakers. Control and automated switching of equipment is achieved via the integration of a 4" AMX wired touch panel at the desktop. All source and control equipment was housed in equipment racks. In addition, twin wallmounted bespoke presentation cabinets, providing writing surfaces, were installed in the boardroom in a Cherry veneer finish in co-ordination with the desking. The training room was equipped with a 50" wall-mounted plasma screen wall with SMART interactive overlay, providing electronic flipchart and whiteboard facilities. Dedicated PC and laptop connectivity were provided at the table top.
In the reception area, a 42" LCD screen provides the option of PC display, with connections provided at the reception desk, or via digital TV. Audio was provided via local speakers, as well as being reinforced by flush ceiling-mounted speakers over the soft seating area, with local induction loops installed at the reception desk. The staff restaurant was equipped with a wall-mounted 55" plasma screen for rolling digital TV display.
The seminar room was equipped with a high specification presentation system, allowing two presenters to access, display and control media from lectern positions. The system was configured to allow display and control via a range of sources; videocassette, DVD, TV (digital free to air and Sky), auxiliary video, dedicated PC and any one of 6 laptop PC inputs provided at lectern and floor box positions around the room. Images were projected via a ceiling-mounted LCD projector onto a 100" diagonal electric screen and repeated at the rear of the room via a 32" LCD panel for those with a restricted view due to an existing pillar.
Computer presentations from 2 dedicated PCs housed in the media wall can be controlled by use of a radio frequency keyboard and mouse from anywhere in the room, or from the lectern using a SMART Sympodium interactive touch screen panel, which also gives the presenter the facility of electronic whiteboard, flipchart and document annotation. All equipment and switching is controlled remotely by twin AMX wireless LCD touch screen remote handsets, including control of lighting, audio volume, input source and transport commands for video, CD, DVD and TV. This had the resultant effect of simplifying system operations, as all switching would be automated simultaneously at the touch of a button.
High specification audio systems were also provided for all sources via stereo speakers and a mix of handheld and tie-clip radio mics, reinforced via flush ceiling-mounted reinforcement speakers, allowing for instant control from the AMX touch panel. In addition, a bespoke induction loop system was designed and installed for all programme and microphone audio.
