The AIA Kansas chapter renovated a historic 1907 building to create a new flexible meeting space with an equally flexible AV system. The space has floor-to-ceiling windows, exposed brick, and a concrete floor that posed acoustic and AV challenges. An Extron control system with a touchpanel and motorized curtains allow the space and AV to be easily reconfigured for different functions. Speakers were chosen to minimize acoustic reflections from the hard surfaces. The AV design addressed the challenges while maintaining the building's historic character.

1. AIA’s beautiful new meeting space in a renovated historic building provides flexibility for a wide variety of functions, but designing
an equally flexible AV system required some creative thinking too. Shown with motorized room dividing curtains. (right)
Design Mecca Overcomes
AV Hurdles
A complete renovation of an historic building leads to unique
meeting space at AIA’s Kansas City offices.
By Gerard Grivois
T
he American Institute of and the importance of good design. To mission, AIA management felt these efforts
Architects, headquartered in accomplish their goals, some AIA branch were constrained by limited space at the
Washington, DC, was founded in offices provide meeting space and facilities chapter’s former West 9th Street offices,
1857, and today has nearly 300 state and that can be used by members and others which had been its home for the past
ALISTA IR TUTT ON PHOT
local chapters in the U.S. and around the in their local design communities. 20 years.
world. The AIA strives to meet the needs The AIA Kansas chapter, chartered When the chapter moved its offices
and interests of the nation’s architects and in 1921, offered more than 50 programs last year, it chose an historic, renovated
the public they serve by developing public to its membership in 2009. While these 1907 structure in the Crossroads District,
OGRAPHY
awareness of the value of architecture programs and services are key to their a former downtown industrial area.
16 Case Study AV SYSTEMS DESIGN Spring 2011

2. design professionals,” says Jeffrey Schutzler, the front of the room, directly behind a
project leader at Helix Architecture. “The movable lectern.
intent was to provide a multi-purpose “I think this is my favorite part of the
room capable of hosting a wide range room,” says Tiffany Shepherd, deputy
of events, from board meetings, lectures, director of the AIA Kansas chapter. “It
lunch presentations, special events, and makes it really easy not only for us to use
design charrettes. The red flooring, the AV system, but also for us to show
projection wall, and ceiling reach outward other people how to use it.”
to pull not only architects and designers Another challenge was the sheer variety
into the office, but also the public.” of meetings that would be held in the
new room.
AV Challenges Schutzler included lightweight,
Typical of historic buildings built in the motorized room dividing curtains from
early 1900s, the loft-style interior of the MechoShade Systems to reconfigure the
space was not exactly designed for AV room for different types and sizes of
technology. Exposed brick, concrete slab meetings. “This is a big space,” notes AIA’s
floors, and 16-foot high ceilings with full Shepherd, “but if we’re having a small
height windows created an environment meeting, we can drop one of these mesh
with many challenges for both acoustics curtains to make the meeting feel a little
and visibility of projected images. more intimate.” Schutzler put one curtain
According to CTI sales consultant about 15 feet from the front of the room,
Steve Martin, one of the main challenges and another about 18 feet beyond the first
in designing an AV system for this room one. Touching a button on the TLP 700MV
was its use as a rental space. “Most of touchpanel activates a motor so that a
the people who do presentations here presenter can easily resize the space to
will use the AV system infrequently or the size of the audience.
only once. So the controls had to be Since the first floor meeting space is
extremely intuitive.” That was one of bordered on two sides by floor to ceiling
the reasons Martin recommended using windows, daylight became an obvious
Helix Architecture and Design of Extron’s TLP 700MV TouchLink 7-inch wall issue for the visibility of projected images.
Kansas City created striking interiors for mount touchpanel. Room darkening MechoShades were
the 4,634 square foot space, and St. Louis, “It’s really simple to use,” Martin says. installed in each window to address this
MO-based Conference Technologies, Inc. – “Extron includes a seven-inch touchscreen problem. Another touch on the TLP 700MV
CTI – contributed an innovative AV system in the panel plus ten backlit buttons and activates the shades according to ambient
design that addressed the space’s inherent even a master volume control knob to put lighting conditions.
AV challenges. everything at a user’s fingertips. They also
have a simplified configuration scheme, Dealing with Acoustics
System Design Requirements making it affordable for customers who CTI also designed and installed a flexible
The centerpiece of the new space is a 2,000 might not otherwise be able to budget sound system for the AIA’s various functions
square foot first-floor meeting room, with for a touchpanel and its associated and events. At the heart of the audio system
windows on two sides looking out on the programming expenses.” are two Extron DMP 64 ProDSP Digital
neighborhood. The room accommodates The TLP 700MV is linked to an Extron Matrix Processors, which provide all signal
60 people classroom style, 150 theater-style, IPL 250 IP Link Ethernet control processor, routing, mic mixing, and equalization for the
and even more for receptions. A typical which enables monitoring and control of various room configurations. The DMP 64s
ALISTA IR TUTT ON PHOT
lunchtime education session attracts about all devices in the system, including all each control a separate zone. Zone one is
70 architects, so the chapter has space sources and a unique mechanical curtain routed to an Extron XPA 2001-70V power
to expand. and window shade system. The TLP 700MV amplifier, which feeds ten Extron SI 26CT
“We conceived this space as a ‘Think touchpanel is wall mounted next to a ceiling mounted speakers. The second
OGRAPHY
Tank’ for collaboration between various 6 by 9-foot Da-Lite projection screen at zone is connected to another XPA 2001-70V
www.avsystemsdesign.com Case Study 17

3. 2 Sheet metal ceiling panels
1 Floor to ceiling glass windows
5 Constantly changing event types & presentation needs
4 Concrete slab floor
Limited space for AV electronics 3
AIA’s Design Challenges and Solutions
ROOM FEATURE DESIGN CHALLENGE SOLUTION
1 Floor to ceiling Hard glass surfaces create excessive acoustic Use ceiling mount speakers with smooth, flat
glass windows reflections, which negatively affect speech frequency response and controlled dispersion
intelligibility. Also, during daylight hours, to minimize sound reflected from glass
excessive brightness creates a challenge for surfaces. Install window shade system to block
projected images. excessive sunlight, and link to control system
for room reconfiguration.
2 Sheet metal Metal surfaces present another surface for Carpet floor surfaces directly below speakers.
ceiling panels acoustic reflections.
3 Limited space for Limits options for thermal management of Use high efficiency electronics with low thermal
AV electronics rack electronics. output and convection cooling.
4 Concrete slab floor Creates both acoustic benefits and challenges. Use speakers with smooth, flat frequency
Slab floors can enhance low frequency response and controlled dispersion.
performance of speakers, but they also
present a highly reflective surface that affects
COURTESY OF CTI/MICHAEL KESSELL
speech intelligibility.
5 Constantly changing All aspects of AV systems must be easily and Use a control system designed for easy
event types and quickly re-configurable. re-configuration and use by a wide range of
presentation needs non-technical end-users.
18 Case Study AV SYSTEMS DESIGN Spring 2011

4. power amplifier, which feeds five more since the amplifiers are convection cooled
SI 26CT speakers. Since aesthetics of the and extremely efficient, there’s no need for TLP 700MV Touchpanel
interior space was understandably a high special ventilation and cooling systems.
priority, CTI was able to paint all speaker AIA’s Shepherd says the new space is
grills on the SI 26CT speakers to match the crucial to the chapter’s goals of expanding
red Armstrong ceiling panels, which allowed its membership and of reaching out to
them to blend in with the ceiling. The form alliances with others in the design
DMP 64s also tie into the curtaining system: and construction industries. “It’s a really
touch a button on the Extron touchpanel cool space,” adds Martin. “I think all
to lower one of the MechoShade curtain of the contractors worked extra hard to
dividers, and it automatically activates only give them the best possible result. It’s a The Extron TLP 700MV 7" Wall Mount
those speakers appropriate for the space real showplace.” TouchLink Touchpanel is designed to
mount securely into a wall, lectern, or
being used.
other flat surface. Its ten backlit buttons
Sources for the system include a Gerard Grivois is Systems Design Engineer for the provide expanded control capabilities so
northeastern U.S. at Extron Electronics. He provides system
built-in PC, two laptop inputs, a DVD/VCR that critical functions are easily accessible.
design support and technical troubleshooting services to
combo, and four Shure SLX wireless system integrators before and after the sale.
microphones. The laptops connect to an
Extron SW2 VGA DA2 A active switcher and
distribution amplifier, which sends a video
signal directly to the NEC NP3250W LCD PC Laptop Laptop
DVD/VCR Combo
projector and audio to one of the DMP 64s
Extron
for audio processing. IR Emitter S-Video C-Video
Audio RGB Audio RGB
With all of the hard surfaces of the S-VIDEO VIDEO
Audio Audio
cement floors, windows, and steel ceiling,
AUDIO IN L R
Audio COMPUTER IN
COMPUTER IN
Extender WPB 101 WPB 101
ASA 111
AUDIO IN
acoustics in the space could have been a RGB
EXTENDER AAP Extender D ASA 121
RGB
nightmare. To address potential slapback RGB
S-Video
RGB
echoes from the concrete slab directly RS-232
C-Video
below the speakers, a large part of the floor EXT SWITCH INPUT OUTPUTS SW2 VGA DA2 A
12V
AS/REMOTE
was carpeted. Minimizing reflections and
0.5A MAX
1 A (LOCAL MONITOR) B 1 2 A S
their negative effect on speech intelligibility SW2 VGA DA2 A Projector
IR Relay
ASA 131 Relay Room Dividing Curtain
requires using speakers with superior
IPL 250
flat frequency response and controlled COM1
TX RX RTS CTS
COM 2
TX RX 1
IR
2
RELAY
1 2
S G S G
POWER
dispersion – which is one of the reasons
LAN
12V
500mA INPUT COM 3 IR RELAY
MAX 1 2 3 4 TX RX 3 4 3 4
TLP 700MV S G S G
why CTI’s Martin chose the Extron SI Series
Shade Control
LIGHTS VIDEO
ON MUTE
Ethernet Relay
speakers. The SI 26CT speakers feature a
LIGHTS AUDIO
OFF MUTE
SCREEN MIC
UP MUTE
SCREEN AUTO
DOWN IMAGE
HELP FREEZE
Ethernet
coaxially mounted 6.5-inch woofer and one-
Extron
Network
inch pivoting dome tweeter, which allows Switch
it to be aimed away from highly reflective Line Record
In Out Microphones
surfaces, like the AIA room’s large windows. Ethernet Ethernet
Audio Audio
All electronics are installed in a Middle 1 2 3 MIC/LINE INPUTS 1 2 I/O RS-232(1)
DMP 64 1 2 3 MIC/LINE INPUTS 1 2 I/O RS-232(1)
DMP 64
O O
Atlantic SRSR Series rotating slide-out
U Tx Rx U Tx Rx
MIC T 1 2 3 LAN MIC T 1 2 3 LAN
POWER + 48 V P 4 5 6
POWER + 48 V P 4 5 6
4 5 6 U 3 4 RS-232(2) RESET 4 5 6 U 3 4 RS-232(2) RESET
1 2 3 1 2 3
T T
4 5 6 S 4 5 6 S
12V Tx Rx 12V Tx Rx
rack, located in an AV closet behind the
1.5A MAX 1.5A MAX
DMP 64 DMP 64
screen at the front of the room. The space
Zone 1 Zone 2
is small with limited ventilation; the closet 100-240V 1.3A, 50-60Hz
C
LISTED
17TT
AUDIO/VIDEO
US APPARATUS
CLASS 2 WIRING
XPA 2001-70V 100-240V 1.3A, 50-60Hz
C
LISTED
17TT
AUDIO/VIDEO
US APPARATUS
CLASS 2 WIRING
XPA 2001-70V
LEVEL HPF INPUTS REMOTE OUTPUT LEVEL HPF INPUTS REMOTE OUTPUT
10V 50 mA 70 V 10V 50 mA 70 V
measures only about two feet wide. With
80 Hz 80 Hz
LIMITER/ VOL/MUTE LIMITER/ VOL/MUTE
L(MONO) R L(MONO) R
PROTECT PROTECT
SIGNAL SIGNAL
0 OFF
0 OFF
STANDBY STANDBY
such space constraints, the Extron XPA XPA 2001-70V XPA 2001-70V
amplifiers proved to be a literal perfect fit. SI 26CT SI 26CT
(5 places) (10 places)
Each amplifier occupies only one rack space,
and is only one-half rack width across. And,
www.avsystemsdesign.com Case Study 19