L I M I T E Dthe AV specialists

Imperial College LondonReflex Case Study

1 Bennet Court,Bennet Road,Reading RG2 0QX

T: 0118 931 3611F: 0118 931 4439

E: info@reflex.co.ukW: www.reflex.co.uk

Setting the standards in Audio Visual SolutionsImperial College London Installation Project

As you would expect from an organisation ranked as the world’s fifth best university in the 2007 Times Higher Educational Supplement, when Imperial College Londondecided to upgrade the audio visual facilities at their South Kensington Campus theirstandards were high.

Historically, the responsibility for providing and maintaining audio visual facilities hadrested with individual departments. In 2007 the College committed to undertake aproject for the refurbishment and subsequent service, maintenance and associatedservices of 38 lecture theatres spread across the College campuses with the goal ofestablishing College-wide standardisation of audio visual equipment with all the associated benefits including ease of use for lecturers and ease of support for theequipment.

AV Requirements

The key requirement for this project was to achieve standardised audio visual facilitiesin 38 lecture theatres across the South Kensington Campus whilst allowing some flexibility to tailor the exact specification to the needs of individual departments. For example some departments have chosen to add a second projector giving themthe ability to display different images side-by-side.

In terms of standard equipment, each of the lecture theatres was to be equipped with a projector displaying images from 2 residentPCs, DVD and visualiser onto a main screen. There was a requirement for a high quality audio system capable of transmitting sound from the input devices and from a lecturer’s microphone, routed through the existing induction-loop amplifier.

At the heart of the solution was a presentation lectern used to house all of the sourceequipment in a rack, whilst on top of the lectern there was a touch screen display usedto drive the Crestron room control system. The control system was designed to operate all of the source and display equipment and to integrate with the existing lighting control, electric blinds and screens.

To overcome security issues all equipment was fitted with Kensington locks, equipment racks were fastened with secure screws and projectors were housed inDalen security cages and fitted with Sonic Shock alarms.

Maintenance and Service Requirements

Having made a substantial investment in new audio visual facilities the College werevery keen to ensure they got the best out of their investment by having appropriatesupport in place.

For first level support, the College use their own staff. To assist them in their taskReflex have installed Crestron Roomview remote monitoring software.

1 Bennet Court,Bennet Road,Reading RG2 0QX

T: 0118 931 3611F: 0118 931 4439

E: info@refl ex.co.ukW: www.refl ex.co.uk

Easthampstead Park Conference CentreA Grade II listed Victorian mansion in Berkshire, Easthampstead Park is a stunning conference and wedding venue surrounded by parkland. Their customer base spans local authorities and corporate clients such as Sky News, Siemens and the John Lewis Partnership, through to family celebrations and weddings. Events range from corporate meetings and training, through to teacher training, post-grad courses and educational conferences.The venue also hosts a variety of team-building events and specialist “hostile environment training.

Refl ex was briefed to upgrade the existing analogue system in their largest conference room, the Downshire Room, and three fi rst fl oor meeting rooms, to a digital control and connection system.

The brief was for the technology to be sympathetic to the historical nature of the building, hidden when not in use and to be easy for all users to use, regardless of their technical ability.

There was an additional requirement for outside audio in the Wedding Pavilion, a beautiful open air wedding area.

The Downshire Room

This largest and most prestigious conference room needed an upgrade to the existing short throw projection system, electric screen, push button automated control system and audio system.

The new solution included an NEC P502HL 5000 ANSI lumen HD laser projector, chosen for being lamp free and its low servicing needs. A new tab tensioned electric screen was fi tted in front of decorative curtains, disappearing into the ceiling when not in use.

A Crestron wall mounted touch panel makes it simple to use and centrally controls the AV equipment, lights and blinds. A Barco Clickshare CSM allows users to wirelessly share laptop content onto the screen and the existing microphone system, which suffered from interference, has now been upgraded to a Revolabs system. All source connections are distributed to a Crestron DMPS3-200-C presentation unit located within an equipment cabinet and a TeamMate VariHite lectern at the front of the room can be height adjusted to allow use by anybody including wheelchair users.

The feedback from the client on the installation was that “the quality of the solution in the Downshire Room is just another level, every client that has used the room walks away impressed, whether it is the huge screen, the wireless presentation solution or the simple touch-screen to operate everything.”

In the three fi rst fl oor meeting spaces, AMX push button wall controllers were installed for easy control of existing projection equipment, along with Extron amplifi ers, receivers and wall plates.

The Wedding Pavilion

The Wedding Pavilion is an outside wedding venue containing a beautiful wooden gazebo. The objective was to give all speakers confi dence in front of the assembled guests, whilst ensuring maximum clarity of sound, achieved through a comprehensive audio system.

L I M I T E Dthe AV specialists

Imperial College LondonReflex Case Study

1 Bennet Court,Bennet Road,Reading RG2 0QX

T: 0118 931 3611F: 0118 931 4439

E: info@reflex.co.ukW: www.reflex.co.uk

Setting the standards in Audio Visual SolutionsImperial College London Installation Project

As you would expect from an organisation ranked as the world’s fifth best university in the 2007 Times Higher Educational Supplement, when Imperial College Londondecided to upgrade the audio visual facilities at their South Kensington Campus theirstandards were high.

Historically, the responsibility for providing and maintaining audio visual facilities hadrested with individual departments. In 2007 the College committed to undertake aproject for the refurbishment and subsequent service, maintenance and associatedservices of 38 lecture theatres spread across the College campuses with the goal ofestablishing College-wide standardisation of audio visual equipment with all the associated benefits including ease of use for lecturers and ease of support for theequipment.

AV Requirements

The key requirement for this project was to achieve standardised audio visual facilitiesin 38 lecture theatres across the South Kensington Campus whilst allowing some flexibility to tailor the exact specification to the needs of individual departments. For example some departments have chosen to add a second projector giving themthe ability to display different images side-by-side.

In terms of standard equipment, each of the lecture theatres was to be equipped with a projector displaying images from 2 residentPCs, DVD and visualiser onto a main screen. There was a requirement for a high quality audio system capable of transmitting sound from the input devices and from a lecturer’s microphone, routed through the existing induction-loop amplifier.

At the heart of the solution was a presentation lectern used to house all of the sourceequipment in a rack, whilst on top of the lectern there was a touch screen display usedto drive the Crestron room control system. The control system was designed to operate all of the source and display equipment and to integrate with the existing lighting control, electric blinds and screens.

To overcome security issues all equipment was fitted with Kensington locks, equipment racks were fastened with secure screws and projectors were housed inDalen security cages and fitted with Sonic Shock alarms.

Maintenance and Service Requirements

Having made a substantial investment in new audio visual facilities the College werevery keen to ensure they got the best out of their investment by having appropriatesupport in place.

For first level support, the College use their own staff. To assist them in their taskReflex have installed Crestron Roomview remote monitoring software.

1 Bennet Court,Bennet Road,Reading RG2 0QX

T: 0118 931 3611F: 0118 931 4439

E: info@reflex.co.ukW: www.reflex.co.uk

Hanging from the pavilion ceiling, a pair of Audio Technica Cardioid Condenser microphones was chosen for their robust construction and unobtrusive appearance. The supercardioid pickup ensures all nuances of the performance can be heard, without feedback. One microphone is directed towards the bride and groom and the other towards the wedding official.

Outside, on each side of the pavilion, is a microphone connection point, housed in a weatherproof housing, for the use of other speakers outside of the building. Two wired handheld microphones on boom mounts connect to the points at the front of pavilion.

Challenges on the project

Working on a Grade II listed building meant that the AV system had to be unobtrusive, and so a specially commissioned white rack cabinet blends in with the décor of the room. A sloping top prevents guests putting drinks on the top surface.

The large electric screen proved challenging to handle because of its size. With the help of a Genie lift, four men installed it at a height of five metres, using bespoke brackets.

Additionally the Downshire Room contains some antique and highly valuable chandeliers. Extreme caution had to be exercised in maneuvering equipment around them. The project was delivered within very tight timescales, with the Reflex team working during the evenings to ensureit was completed on time. The whole installation was delivered in just four and a half days, to be ready for a wedding on the afternoon of day five.

The results

The AV upgrade has brought the conference centre into the 21st century. The technology used creates multi-purpose, multi-functional spaces, adaptable for both business and private functions.

By keeping the functionality simple, the diverse number of end-users with their varying technical abilities can easily control and present with confidence. This ease of functionality also extends to the staff, who need to set up the rooms for visitors. In fact, the workload of the onsite team has dropped to virtually nothing on arrival - freeing up time to focus on their clients.

There has been positive feedback from end users, with comments about increased functionality and how much easier it is to use the facilities. There is a greater level of flexibility so that they can work and present in the way that is most comfortable to them, rather than being tied to one location due to the technology. One of Easthampstead Parks clients, Wokingham Borough Council, hosted a large education conference, one of the guest speakers was a professor, and they were particularly impressed with the Barco Clickshare. It meant that the numerous guest speakers could swap seamlessly between themselves, without needing the Easthampstead Park team to set everything up for them each time.

According to Stewart Neil, Operations Manager for Easthampstead Park, “The equipment in all our meeting rooms now just works – first time, every time. This is critical for our clients.

We have tried numerous audio visual companies over the years, but they have always struggled to understand our requirements, marrying our need for a system that is not too visible with a simplicity needed for clients. We were impressed with the solution offered and service provided by Reflex from the very first technical drawing right the way through to installation, commissioning and maintenance.”