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AAV’s Christie/Holo Screen Solution for Bosch in Worcester
Advanced Audio & Vision Ltd (AAV) has completed the latest phase of a sophisticated audio visual project for BBT Thermotechnology UK in Worcester.
Part of the Bosch Group, BBT (better known for its Worcester, Bosch Group brand) is the largest supplier of heating products in Europe, with an estimated turnover of approximately €2.5 billion. Around 1,800 personnel work for the UK division, many at the headquarters, based in Worcester.
Last year, as part of a £3.5m expansion project, the company commenced work on building an ‘Energy Atrium’ to showcase high efficiency and renewable energy products, as well as develop meeting room and conference facilities. Over 10,000 heating professionals will have visited the site by the end of 2006 to see the new products, the state of the art contact centre and take advantage of the training opportunities available.
By the time AAV Ltd were invited to take over the project at the start of the year, the AV fit out had become something of a fast track proposition.
Tasked by BBT’s IT and network project administrator, Gary Whenman with equipping three meeting rooms (including a lecture theatre) and creating dynamic media for both the contact centre and Energy Atrium, AAV’s project manager Darren Scott designed a solution based largely round components from display company Paradigm AV and top-end projection company Christie.
AAV have been Christie partners since they set up five years ago and have generally specified the company’s projectors at this level “because the service and back-up are so good — and I know the projectors will work straight out of the box.”
Knowing how much natural daylight would be admitted in this galleria-like environment he knew he would need to combine high output projection with high-gain media — and this led him to Paradigm AV.
His decision to mount two of the Paradigm-distributed 40in dnp Holo Screens against each of the two contact centre windows — one displaying CNN television the other updated contact centre statistics — had been inspired by the managing director at BBT Thermotechnology UK, Richard Soper, who had seen the impact made by holographic glass screens while visiting a museum in Germany.
AAV managed to secure access to the roof void to insert a pair of Paradigm’s Easy Erect Mirror Rigs, in which are cradled a pair of Christie LX40 4000 lumen LCD XGA projectors; these are fed from a bank of servers and the output deflected off the carefully-aligned mirrors.
“Paradigm was our first port of call because we know how reliable their holographic screens are,” rationalised Darren Scott. “At he same time it was the correct decision to upgrade to a 4000 lumen projector because of the amount of daylight coming through the glass roof of the atrium. This has created a perfect, and highly popular solution for Bosch and is a real talking point for visitors.”
The three Atrium lecture theatres are all front-screen projected onto drop-down screens using Christie LX series devices, fitted with standard lens and operating under AMX control. Says Gary Whenman: “These are used predominantly for meetings, training courses and seminars, and require a variety of inputs from laptops and DVD, VCR and satellite TV facilities.” Environmental management control is managed through AMX processing and touch screen remotes.
While the smaller meeting rooms feature an LX34, the major lecture theatre, which seats 100, uses an LX50, fitted with standard lens, to project onto a 2.4m x 3m screen.
Having completed the meeting rooms, AAV were then asked to equip the main 14-seat boardroom with a front-projected LX34. The company has provided ten input points, with standard combination VHS/DVD playback devices, ProCon source switching and ClearOne teleconference facilities, concealed in a neat credenza.
The entire cabling infrastructure uses German spec Cat7 which streams 10 gigabit Ethernet over 100 metres of copper cabling. Onto this network AAV have also placed interactive LCD touch screens to showcase Worcester’s Energy Houses. These houses are displayed on four screens and show how Worcester’s high efficiency and renewable energy products are making a difference in people’s homes. Visitors can touch the screens to navigate their lifestyles, property types, efficiency ratings (before and after installation) and how it has made a difference to their energy use.
Further down the atrium are a number of podiums, showcasing renewable energy solutions such as ground source heat pumps, which move solar heat stored in the earth, and convert it to provide the heating and hot water for the home. And since Worcester, Bosch Group are also sponsors of the Channel 4 weather, they have installed a Weather Station, driven from apparatus on the roof, and Christie projected onto an electric Owl screen.
Summarised Gary Whenman: “As far as our AV requirements are concerned it is a constantly evolving process. Technology quickly becomes outdated while the requirement for new multimedia is endless.”
In picture: the atrium, the boardroom — and the Holo Screens at the Call Centre.
16th November 2006
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