FEATURE: TECHNOLOGY FOR ARCHITECTS
Architectural practice Wilkinson Eyre worked closely with the University of Exeter to design The Forum, a hub space containing student facilities and teaching accommodation. AV kit in the Auditorium (installed by GV Multimedia) includes three Christie projectors integrated into the design of the ceiling, making them practically invisible to most of the theatre
[KEY POINTS]
The success of a building is measured on how well it fulfils its intended function. AV equipment forms a major part of that functionality
Architects may rely on the ability of AV technology to adapt to any situation but AV systems should be designed in at an early stage
Major buildings should have a 25-year service framework that makes provision for advances in future technology
InfoComm is currently drafting an Audiovisual Systems Performance Verification standard to document AV systems that will aid building designers and operators
Grand designs
The familiar story of AV being considered too late in the design process often still holds true, but developments in attitudes and tools are promoting a more integrated approach, writes Steve Montgomery
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES in the audiovisual world happen, as we all know, extremely quickly. Cast your mind back five years: the use of flatscreens, TV and video distribution, even the internet was nowhere near as common in buildings as it now is. The systems that were installed in videoconferencing suites, reception areas and presentation rooms were far simpler and bear little resemblance to those of today. Not only have AV professionals had to learn new techniques and handle displays of ever-increasing size, but so too have those responsible for selecting and designing the buildings that accommodate them. It is hardly surprising then,
that architects find it hard to keep on top of developments in the AV industry and to
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allocate the level of detailed design and consideration that they do for other, more traditional construction tasks. This is exacerbated by the fact that a building may take two years or more to progress from concept to completion and the technology will move on considerably in that time.
FIT FOR PURPOSE The success of a building is measured by how well it fulfils its intended function; be it work or leisure, technology is just one aspect of the experience that is the interaction between people, the processes and the place. It is how well these three factors are integrated together that govern the user or visitor experience. The design requirements of
a building are related to its purpose. “Architects often
pay too little attention to the functional requirements the client has for a building, leaving the design of technology and services until it is too late to fully integrate them into the architecture,” says Duncan Howie, lead consultant for strategic consultants Visual Acuity. “Only such an integrated building, be it for work or leisure, will deliver its full potential and I firmly believe that effort invested early in the project pays dividends through the project delivery and ongoing operations,” he explains. “All too often, architects don’t design for functionality, or they assume that technology can be configured to deliver what they perceive as functionality sometimes without even establishing the actual functional
requirements with the client. This, I find, is because they don't ask the right questions. I think this is a combination of not realising the potential of modern technology and its applications, and not being open to learn about it.” This approach may be intentional to protect the aesthetics of the building, but invariably results in the building not achieving its operational potential and audiovisual systems looking like an afterthought. However, such compromises can be avoided by embracing a broader base of specialist consultants to collaborate from the initial concept stage so that technology is designed to facilitate the intended processes and is wrapped in architecture to create the desired environment.
RIBA’s Plan of Work defines eight key steps (0-7) in the design and construction of buildings. AV requirements should be defined in stage 3
Building Information Modelling is a way of visualising and defining completed buildings and fosters collaboration between contractors
‘People seem to think that technology is
good enough to fix it all – no matter what “it” is’
Graham Naylor- Smith, Arup
September 2013 35
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