A
complete networked HARMAN AV solution helps deliver a high-impact, immersive
and media-rich experience for visitors and prospective students
RICHMOND,
Va.—The University of Richmond recently installed a complete AV system by
HARMAN Professional Solutions in its new Queally Center, a cutting-edge
facility that serves as a welcome center for guests and unites the offices of
admissions, financial aid and employer relations. In order to create a memorable
experience for visitors and meet the needs of students throughout their collegiate
journey, the University of Richmond’s Information Services team equipped the
building with an integrated HARMAN AV solution made up of AMX control systems,
JBL Professional speakers and Crown professional power amplifiers. Today, the
university uses the building-wide HARMAN system to provide an immersive
experience for prospective students—and help current students pursue
professional opportunities.
“We standardized
on AMX over ten years ago, and it has been an excellent platform,” said Doug West,
Assistant Vice President of Information Services, University of Richmond. “The HARMAN
system is incredibly flexible. Professors can walk into any smart classroom on
campus, immediately configure the room for their lecture needs, and deliver
high quality audio and video presentations. Although the technology
capabilities in the Queally Center go far beyond those of our standard
classroom spaces, we still wanted to extend that same ease-of-use to the new
facility.”
The University of
Richmond consistently ranks among Ivy League schools as a top academic
institution, and more than 20,000 prospective students visit the campus each
year. In 2014, the university started planning construction for a new building
that could illustrate the university’s cutting-edge learning environment and
support current students in the first steps of their professional careers.
Combining the
offices of admissions, financial aid and employer relations, the Queally Center
was designed as a true multi-use facility. The 56,000-square-foot building
includes a welcome center with interactive touchpoints, smart conference rooms that
enable students to go on virtual interviews with potential employers, staff
offices and a multifunction 500-seat assembly room at the heart of the
facility.
Designed in
collaboration with the university’s Communications and Digital Engagement team,
the building entrance opens into a hallway lined with brilliant digital
displays, interactive information kiosks and a striking 9-panel video wall. A
central AMX touch panel controls each of the displays and interactive touch
points. Prospective students can use the kiosks to explore campus maps, watch
videos about academic programs and connect with the university through social
media channels.
At the same time,
the gorgeous wall-mounted displays feature imagery of student life and important
moments in university history. The result is a technology-rich facility that
has an instant impact on visitors—and is highly functional for the faculty,
staff and students who work in the center every day.
The centerpiece
of the Queally Center is a premium 500-seat assembly room. The venue includes
three 12-foot screens with short-throw projectors and four supporting 82-inch
displays for presentations. The assembly room also features an integrated sound
system made up of JBL loudspeakers and Crown amplifiers, which provide pristine
sound reinforcement and flexibility for a wide range of events. Four AMX touch
panels allow admissions staff members to manage the different space
configurations. Master control of the facility is also accessible on an iPad
via the AMX TP Control application.
To make the most
of the space, the room can be converted into two or three individual meeting
rooms via dividing walls that descend from the ceiling. Each space can be
quickly configured with its own unique audio zone and video display, making the
assembly room a perfect starting point for daily campus tours and breakout
sessions for prospective students. The Office of Alumni & Career Services’
Career Gallery and Employer Suite is also located in the new building. Here,
students meet with potential employers in interview suites, which are equipped
with in-person and virtual interview capabilities, including displays, JBL
speakers and state-of-the-art video-conferencing equipment.
“The AMX touch
panels throughout the building make it easy to control all of the AV
systems—from the displays throughout the building, to the conference rooms and
out to the courtyard,” explained West. “In the assembly room alone, there are
twelve source points that can be routed to seven content destinations, and all
of that is seamlessly controlled by AMX equipment.”
Before the new facility existed, the University of
Richmond offices of admission, financial aid and employer relations were in
separate locations. Embarking on daily campus tours, seeking information about
academic programs and tuition, and connecting with future employers required
multiple trips to different buildings. With the Queally Center and the
end-to-end HARMAN solution, these services and experiences are unified in a
single building that not only meets the needs of all three departments, but
also provides a breathtaking experience for visitors to campus.
“Because HARMAN
offers a tightly integrated solution, we’re able to handle very complex A/V
switching behind the scenes in a streamlined, elegant manner,” West concluded. “It
makes a huge difference to presenters when technical staff are not available.”
Products Used:
ABOUT
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND
University of Richmond blends the intimacy
of a small college with exceptional academic, research and cultural facilities
and opportunities usually found only at large institutions. It offers a unique
combination of undergraduate and graduate programs through its schools of arts
and sciences, business, leadership studies, law and continuing studies.
Richmond is recognized by virtually every college guide as one of America’s
best private, liberal arts universities. University of Richmond is one of just
a few colleges in the nation to be both need-blind in making admission decisions
for domestic undergraduate students and committed to meeting 100 percent of
demonstrated need for all accepted students.
ABOUT HARMAN
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and
solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including
connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation
solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading
brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark
Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the
entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 25 million
automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car
systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems
that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and
home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people
across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.
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