Pure AV does the business at Queen’s University Belfast

Pure AV has fitted out more than 20 spaces at Queen’s University Belfast’s new business school.

Offering a wide range of courses, Queen’s Business School needed to deliver high-quality spaces that facilitate a collaborative and dynamic learning environment for students.

Before work started on the school’s construction, Pure AV collaborated extensively with the university’s media services department, presenting a series of schematics, CAD drawings, elevations, floorplans and customised architectural drawings to enable the better visualisation of each space.

The end result is a collection of high-quality, uniform spaces that have established a new standard across the campus of Queen’s University Belfast.

Divisible seminar spaces
To maximise room utilisation throughout the school, a series of divisible spaces that allow different room configurations has been created.

Each space is equipped with custom-programmed AMX room control systems, which have been integrated into the bespoke TOP-TEC lecterns.

Panasonic projectors have been installed to provide large-scale content, while Aver PTZ cameras with auto-tracking capabilities allow sessions to be recorded.

Lecture theatre 
A divisible lecture theatre can accommodate 250 students and can easily be transformed into two separate spaces.

In its large configuration, the lecturer can use dual projection to deliver content to the audience, PTZ cameras for lecture capture, and complete room audio coverage, all managed through the AMX control system.

In the independent configurations, each space is equipped with its own projection, audio, PTZ cameras, Wolfvision visualisers and room control system, ensuring that the university can fully utilise the spaces according to needs.

Collaborative space
A ‘Harvard-style’ collaboration room has been designed as a space where students and lecturers can discuss course content. It features a central single projection system, making it easy to view large-format content. Confidence monitors and repeater screens are positioned around the room to ensure that everyone can see the material.

In order to create a standardised experience, all of the technologies found in other spaces have been integrated into the lectern.

Computer lab
For an enhanced large-group learning experience, the lab is a versatile space that can be divided into two separate areas, or be used as a single large space.

To ensure that content can be viewed from any part of the lab, dual projection and a series of repeater screens have been installed. All lecture capture is handled by Aver cameras, while the lectern incorporates input plates for connecting devices and content deployment.

Standarised meeting spaces
A range of standardised bring-your-own-device spaces – four small-group rooms, three interview rooms, two incubator hubs, two larger meeting spaces and a boardroom – have been implemented across the campus to allow anyone to enter the area and understand how to use the technology.

Each space features AMX control, while video collaboration is facilitated by the deployment of Poly X50 video bars with integrated cameras and microphones.

AMX hydraports have been integrated into the collaboration tables, supporting USB-C and HDMI inputs.

For in-room group collaboration sessions, Mersive Solstice pods have been installed to enable sharing from personal laptops to the in-room displays.

The boardroom has been equipped with an audio digital signal processor, as well as Aver and QSC cameras that have been programmed to integrate with the Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 speakers.

Mohamed Hamed, head of media services at Queen’s University Belfast, says: “One of the key strengths of this project was Pure AV effortlessly collaborating with Queen’s Media Services and delivering such a variety of purpose-specific technologies to suit each space.

“Queen’s Business School is a globally renowned centre for high-impact academic and policy research, with close links to industry. Therefore, the AV technology was designed with the particular aim of widening the participation and enhancing the level of engagement between stakeholders – ranging from undergraduate and postgraduate students to other prestigious management institutions and industry leaders from around the globe.”