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Meet Your Future Partner

What do architects think about collaborating more deeply with AV consultants and integrators? We went straight to the source and heard positive feedback.

Meet Your Future Partner

What do architects think about collaborating more deeply with AV consultants and integrators? We went straight to the source and heard positive feedback.

RTKL Associates in Baltimore seemingly has an answer to the age-old dilemma of how to better coordinate the design efforts of architects and AV professionals: The international architecture firm maintains its own in-house audiovisual and building systems division. The AV group is so good at what it does that it sometimes finds itself in the awkward position of doing AV consulting on other architecture firms’ projects.

Jennifer Cordes at Slaterpaull Architects says that technology designers are now a big part of her firm’s overall design teams.

Credit: Don Cudney

Over lunch in Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood, one of RTKL’s vice presidents, Bill McCarthy, AIA, and the head of its AV and acoustics practice, Tony Warner, CTS-D, say the things AV integrators and consultants have wished for years they could say to architects so that, for instance, the sight lines in a new conference room are taken into account, or the wall for an impressive array of flat screens can bear the load. “Architects don’t lock themselves in a room and come out with a solution,” says McCarthy. “AV should be inherent to the solution from day one.”

Conversation Starters

What AV products might appeal to architects? Which manufacturers have designed systems that are equal parts AV and aesthetics? Here are a few technologies worth regaling architects with at your next lunch-and-learn. See what piques their interest.

Meyer Sound Constellation. This turnkey acoustic system comprises multiple small calibrated microphones, often hundreds of distributed loudspeakers, digital signal processing, and special Meyer Sound reverberation algorithms. Together, they change the acoustics of a multifunction venue at the press of a button to suit the type of event or performance taking place.

Planar Clarity Matrix. Architects know the allure of videowalls. They also know (or have begun to understand) there’s an Americans with Disabilities Act requirement that says objects such as displays can’t jut out further than 4 inches from walls in public places. Planar’s Clarity Matrix LCD Videowall System (below) has an installed depth of just 3.6 inches, which complies with the ADA.

InFocus Installation Projectors. Starting with the 4,000-lumen XGA IN5302 and extending to the 6,000-lumen WUXGA IN5535, InFocus offers small-to-large-venue projectors that designers can outfit with custom color skins to match a room’s décor. Options include matte black, matte white, glossy black, and wood grain.

Crestron Fusion. True, the company also has sleek, architectural touch panels, such as the V-Panel line, but Fusion software is at the heart of Crestron’s integrated building technology platform, which gives operators a central point from which to monitor and control AV systems, lights, HVAC, energy use, and more.

Christie MicroTiles, Prysm TD1. These two videowall products have generated buzz because designers use them to build diverse, creative displays in many shapes and sizes. As building blocks, they’re smaller than flat-panel screens, which gives them their versatility. They’re both marketed to green builders, but use different technologies. Prysm boasts of very low power consumption.

Da-Lite Holo Screen. Da-Lite’s new speciality rear-projection screen is transparent, so people can see through it even as they’re watching video on it in retail stores, window displays, airports, and lobbies. It uses holographic technology so the projector in back can project at angles from 18 to 35 degrees.

Chief Thinstall. The fixed version of these svelte display mounts collapses to less than a half-inch from the wall. A tilt version folds to about three-quarters of an inch. They’re designed to go with the new generation of very thin LCD and plasma screens. For fixed installations, Chief’s Fusion series makes it easier to service screens after they’ve been hung.

“A lot of new workspaces are driven more by function than by form,” Warner says. “That requires a deep collaborative effort.”

Not every project RTKL works on has an AV component, but about 80 percent do. Which means that neither camp (architecture nor AV) can avoid the other. RTKL isn’t the only firm that has brought AV and architecture together under one umbrella, and there are AV consultants such as The Sextant Group that have made the decision to bring architectural expertise in-house (though in our case, not practicing architects). But these forward-thinking shops are in the minority. In a recent Pro AV survey of architects, only 7 percent said that their company had its own staff of AV consultants and integrators. That leaves a lot of critical work for AV consultants and design/build integrators to coordinate with architecture firms.

How will the rest of the project teams that work on new buildings, brought together from separate disciplines, ensure their finished products are tightly integrated, easy to operate, energy-efficient, future-proofed, and exactly what the client envisioned when they asked that their new space include all the latest AV and communications technology? Admit you don’t know everything. Learn some of what the other side knows. And for goodness’ sake, start sharing ideas when the projects starts, not when it’s further down the road. Fortunately, there are architects who understand the role of AV pros and are ready to welcome them into charrettes.

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Meet Your Future Partner

What do architects think about collaborating more deeply with AV consultants and integrators? We went straight to the source and heard positive feedback.

BEYOND FOUR WALLS

“Our clients recognize that information and possibilities lie far beyond the four walls of their project,” says Jennifer Cordes, AIA, LEED AP, and principal at Slaterpaull Architects in Denver. “Today’s buildings have the potential to link people to the outside world in real time. Technology has helped us achieve this goal and thus the technology designers have become an integral part of our design teams.”

At RTKL Associates, Tony Warner (left) is the AV guy. Bill McCarthy is the architect. Their close coordination pays dividends for the architecture firm’s clients.

Credit: Michael Starghill, Jr.

Indeed, with the increased use of audiovisual systems in commercial and institutional buildings, it’s become critically important for architects to plan early for the integration of technology into their designs. Videoconferencing and elaborate telepresence suites are becoming more popular for global collaboration. Digital signage systems for scheduling, wayfinding, and news updates are visible in lobbies and meeting spaces. Overarching metacontrol systems can help create a truly intelligent building by tying automation, electrical management, and audiovisual systems management into a common control platform that supports a client’s sustainability goals (see “The Building Management Mix,” page 40).

None of these functions in a vacuum. Planning the infrastructure to support such applications guarantees optimal performance and transparency. Doing the opposite, i.e. considering technology late in the process, creates a visible layer to an otherwise thoughtful design.

Moreover, doing things the right way and considering technology’s impact at the outset of master planning, programming, and conceptual design helps lower overall costs. In fact, the savings from early planning can be significant. Early planning helps itemize up-front costs for estimating a responsible minimum investment, and provides benchmarks for determining the long-term cost of ownership. But most importantly, integrating technology from the outset should obviate most of the cost for post-construction changes, such as physical infrastructure, cabling, conduit, power, and technical interfaces. Often, these changes can exceed the cost of the technology itself. RTKL’s McCarthy says that because the company’s architects work with AV designers from the outset, “it’s actually a cost benefit to clients.”

“Early and continued identification and coordination of the audiovisual requirements as an integral part of the design process is critical to the ultimate success of the facility and reduces the need for redesigning later in the process,” says Rod Kruse, FAIA, LEED AP, and principal at BNIM in Des Moines, Iowa.

It also helps ensure that the building includes behind-the-scenes provisions to support AV systems. “Specialized spaces are needed to accommodate state-of-the-art technology,” says Cordes. “These include server rooms, [intermediate distribution frame] rooms, recharging stations, etc. Securing and controlling the temperature in these spaces optimizes equipment performance. This puts pressure on the floor plans, HVAC systems, and overall building energy use. If coordinated early, we can accomplish energy savings by locating technology rooms so they can be easily exhausted and include heat recovery options, which reduces energy use in colder months.”

But beyond the less glamorous, albeit critical support infrastructure for AV systems, from conduit to equipment rooms, there are a slew of design considerations that need input from an AV expert.

“Rapidly changing media and technology raise issues ranging from sight lines to natural and artificial lighting, from acoustics to material selections, from planning for flexible, adaptable uses and reconfigurations to providing for a supporting, flexible, and user-friendly infrastructure,” explains architect John Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP, of St. Louis. “With an appreciation for and knowledge of these issues, the architecture can accommodate the technological requirements gracefully and successfully, with balance and thoughtfulness, all in service of those seeking and sharing knowledge in a supportive, flexible, and beautiful environment.”

In practice, how is that accomplished?

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Meet Your Future Partner

What do architects think about collaborating more deeply with AV consultants and integrators? We went straight to the source and heard positive feedback.

CREATING A VISION

Architects and AV pros say that before a project program is developed, clients benefit from “blue-sky thinking” about what could be, not just what is. “We start with user-group meetings to brainstorm the vision for the building,” Cordes says. “Once established, our team meets regularly with the technology designer to realize the vision.”

Seven Tips For Collaborating With Architects

To be fair, architects know that they, too, could use tips for collaborating with AV consultants and integrators. Bill McCarthy, a vice president at RTKL Associates, admits freely, “Architects need to learn the basic concepts of AV systems.” But for our purposes, architects and the AV pros who know them best offered PRO AV several suggestions to help AV companies get in good with architecture firms.

1. Reach Out. Not every AV company can do it to the extent CCS Presentation Systems has, but it’s widely agreed that spending money to meet and educate architects gets you out in front of many of your competitors. The Scottsdale, Ariz.–based design/ build fi rm has an executive dedicated to marketing its services to architects and general contractors. The company has advertised in regional design magazines and created a showroom at its headquarters where CCS engineers can walk architects through various solutions.

2. Feed Them. If you don’t have a healthy marketing budget or the space for a showroom, maybe you can afford a tray of sandwiches. Architects are busy, but many smaller AV companies swear by the lunch-and-learn, which gives them a chance to teach local architects about products and services over a lunch break. John Bangs, who heads up AV/COM in suburban Washington, D.C., credits a lunch-and-learn program for architects with driving new business.

3. Don’t Act Like a Dealer. It’s in the AV industry’s DNA to deal certain manufacturers’ products (“We’re a Crestron-authorized dealer,” “We’re an Extron dealer”). Architects prefer if you come to their projects with a blank slate, which is often why their primary point of contact is an AV consultant. “Engineers like to do the same solution every time,” laments one architect. So while it’s tempting to propose a solution you’ve built before because you know it works, take a step back and consider what else might be a good fi t for the specifi c project.

4. Think Simplicity. Most AV pros already design and install systems with an eye toward how users will operate them. Architects expect ease-of-use to the Nth degree. Your idea of a user-friendly control system, for instance, may not jibe with the architect’s. Think fewer buttons, not more.

5. Talk the Talk. One AV designer says he took architecture classes to learn how architects come up with their ideas. AV companies that have invested in LEED AP certifi cation and building information modeling software such as Autodesk Revit for their staffs are able to communicate with architects in terms they understand. “If integrators want to work with architects,” says an AV-savvy architect, “they need to forget everything they know and learn architect-speak.”

6. Appeal to Hot-Button Issues. It could mean more business for you. LEED building is one obvious issue, but did you know that architects of public buildings must adhere to provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, part of which governs how far videowalls, for example, can extend from a wall? David Thibeau, president of Mtek Kiosk, an AV integrator in Portland, Ore., has begun pitching clients about Planar Systems’ Clarity Matrix videowalls to meet ADA requirements (see page 34). “We’ve been having to go to the fairly substantial additional expense of recessing videowalls into walls in order to be less than 4 inches out from the surface. And there have been situations where the videowall was to be placed on a concrete wall, which made recessing virtually impossible. This represents a missed business opportunity for us,” he says. “In talking with two clients that are substantial in the airport market and retail business sector, they’ve been pressing us for a solution like this for some time. We’re anticipating to gain an additional $500,000 to $600,000 in new business from these two customers, which we would not have received otherwise.”

7. Hold Your Tongue. Be a Partner. This of course assumes you get face-time with the architect in the fi rst place, but keep in mind that all those old complaints you’ve had about how building designs ignore AV considerations–such as the expensive conference room lighting fi xture where the client expects a projector to hang, or the LEED-friendly daylighting that presents an acoustical challenge–most architects have heard them before. “You need to be a team player in the charrette,” says Tony Warner, head of RTKL’s AV and acoustics practice. “In the case of daylighting, for instance, understand the value of that LEED credit and help come up with a solution.”

– Brad Grimes PRO AV University is a new education destination for onl0ine training and webinars related to acoustics, mounting solutions, display technologies, and other technologies that factor heavily into a building’s architecture. It’s backed by Hanley Wood University, the number one online destination for American Institute of Architects (AIA)–accredited training. Want to get inside the heads of architects? Visit proavmagazine.com/education or hanleywooduniversity.com.

Developing a design and actually constructing a significant project can take 18 to 36 months or more. In that time, technology applications will likely go through at least one full generation of capabilities (and come out less expensive in the end). The only way to allow for this inevitable change is to help the building’s owner look beyond their current applications to what’s likely to be available at the time of occupancy and through the first several years using the facility. Micro-fine LED displays, high-bandwidth wireless networking, full-featured smartphones and tablet computers were science fiction less than two decades ago. Holographic imaging, flexible flat-screens, haptic (force-generating) controls are quickly moving from Hollywood’s imagination to the boardroom. Clients notice cool technology all around them and want it where they work.

“We’re no longer interested in just seeing how the AV is connected, or the mechanisms, or the devices,” says Hraztan Zeitlian, AIA, LEED AP, and principal for DLR Group WWCOT inSanta Monica, Calif. “We’re interested in seeing the amazing effects and impact of seamlessly integrated AV systems.” In other words, when working with architects, there are AV companies that need to change their focus from the systems they could integrate (videoconferencing codecs, sound reinforcement) to the experience the building’s users want to have. “If your goal is to sell the latest technology, that’s not a needs-based approach,” says RTKL’s McCarthy.

Similar to the master-planning process, creating a technology plan helps anticipate new applications that supplant existing systems. Scheduling a visioning session before a project starts can open the eyes of building owners and occupants to new possibilities. “Infrastructure for future technology must be explored,” Cordes says. “Technology is constantly evolving and the only way to keep up is to imagine the possibilities.”

Comparing up-front costs versus life-cycle costs can, for example, lead clients to invest in newer technology that provides higher productivity and collaboration. But even after a useful visioning session, some potential AV systems may not be economically or technically viable. The building design should still include infrastructure to accommodate future systems in a flexible and cost-effective manner–a point the AV professional can help drive home.

The best investment any building designer can make is in a robust technology foundation. This would include cable pathways (in above-ceiling trays or underfloor ducts), provisions for fiber-optic cabling to desktops and rooms, structural and electrical support in walls and ceilings for display devices, adequate power and grounding systems to prevent interference, and programmatic consideration for server and data distribution throughout a building. It should also take into account oft-overlooked technology support spaces, like the area needed behind a rear-projection videowall, if one or more are desired.

The problem is, architects don’t always know what they don’t know. They know sight lines are important, for instance. They know viewing angles and acoustical performance can impact their clients’ utilization of a classroom, auditorium, or meeting facility. Many even know the basic AV technologies required. But they often need someone to alert them to what they may not have taken into account.

“Increasingly, AV systems are an essential part of our learning environments,” says Jay Bond, AIA, associate vice president for facility management at California State University Fullerton. “Early and frequent communication and coordination among the faculty users, architects, engineers, facility managers, campus IT managers, and the AV consultants is essential if expectations are to be met. The AV consultant can play a crucial role in ensuring that the right questions get asked at the right time, and that the proper answers are provided.”

Previous12 3 45Next

Meet Your Future Partner

What do architects think about collaborating more deeply with AV consultants and integrators? We went straight to the source and heard positive feedback.

THE LITTLE THINGS

What can be especially frustrating is the fact that a few questions up-front can sometimes overcome very simple design mistakes. John Godbout, CEO and founder of AV design/build company CCS Presentation Systems in Scottsdale, Ariz., says his company is working on a huge new building in Phoenix that represents up to $3 million in AV equipment and integration. When the AV team visited the site to examine the equipment room, they realized the room lacked a doorway–there was only an opening in the floor. “If we’d worked with the architects more up-front, there sure would have been a door,” Godbout says. “And guess what? There was no air-conditioning duct.”

Though considerable progress has been made in persuading architects of the need to meet with AV professionals early in the process–both by individual AV companies as well as by InfoComm International through its CTS for AV initiative (ctsforav.com)–it’s still incumbent upon AV companies to take the first step when necessary. Godbout says that CCS Presentation Systems has people whose job it is to reach out to architects and general contractors (GC). “When we hear about a job, we’ll call the GC, find out who the architect is, and call them to try and secure an up-front meeting,” he says. “Sometimes we can, sometimes we can’t.”

For all the efforts by AV pros, and for all the receptiveness of today’s architects, there’s still room to improve collaboration betweem the two sides. Godbout says only about one-quarter of the projects CCS works on would qualify as optimal partnerships between his company and the architect. But just a couple years ago, when CCS started actively reaching out to architects, none of the projects the company worked on were true collaborations.

“Some companies started earlier, but we’re just getting into it,” Godbout says. He recognizes that AV consultants have been at it even longer, helping architects realize the potential of advance AV systems. But still, he says, “Pro AV integrators are the function to the architect’s form.”

Craig Park, FSMPS, Assoc. AIA, is a principal with national technology consultants The Sextant Group. He trained as an architect and has practiced as an AV consultant for more than 25 years. Pro AV editor Brad Grimes contributed to this story.

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Meet Your Future Partner

What do architects think about collaborating more deeply with AV consultants and integrators? We went straight to the source and heard positive feedback.

AV AND ARCHITECTURE: ANALYSIS OF A RELATIONSHIP

Architects share their views on AV systems and working with AV pros.

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