In January 2015, the University tendered for a contractor to carry out Category B fit-out works at the Loughborough University in London campus. proAV worked collaboratively with the client appointed fit-out contractor and the University’s Facilities and Corporate Services teams to develop a range of audio visual solutions for the building.

Finalising system performance capability and functionality following our initial appointment required a number of meetings and ongoing communication with both the fit-out contractor and the client. The performance specification for the AV package remained fluid during the contract and so a number of meetings were held and design changes were implemented.

Installing partial systems in the Phase 1 Temporary Spaces element to meet the deadline for the September 2015 term meant deploying equipment from some of the proposed permanent spaces, sometimes in different short-term configurations. Subsequently, this hardware had to be relocated in spring 2016 into the final permanent teaching locations.

Low ceiling heights throughout the build resulted in a number of design changes from the specified AV scheme. proAV was required to source a custom projection screen in a number of areas to accommodate the low ceilings and an entire row of screens reduced the reception area video wall from a 4x4 configuration to a 4x3 configuration.

It was imperative that the lecture theatres, collaborative meeting spaces and public areas incorporated innovative and cutting edge AV solutions that encompassed the latest technology to ensure the needs of current and future students were fully accommodated.

The project was delivered over a period of ten months in three phases; Temporary Space, Main Teaching Areas and Relocation of Temporary Space to Main Areas, featuring:

• 2 Tiered lecture theatres, 5 Seminar rooms, 4 Meeting rooms, Committee room, 6 Informal learning spaces, 4 Open learning spaces, Reception area, Café

Key Innovations

• Panasonic Laser 1-chip DLP lamp-less projectors
• Panasonic Ultra-narrow bezel video wall LED displays
• Cisco video conferencing telepresence systems 
• DisplayNote Montage Wireless Collaboration Presentation Systems