Wake Forest University Business School

CHALLENGE

Wake Forest’s recent project, a state-of-the-art Business School facility, was charged to exemplify innovation and collaboration while providing intuitive controls for faculty, staff and students utilizing new technologies to best instruct and engage their audiences. Learning traditionally begins in the classroom, but our focus was to imagine a building where every space was a potential learning space. In this environment, connectivity should be spontaneous and ubiquitous and functionality should be familiar and flexible with potential for growth. Administration wanted bleeding edge technology, IT/Multimedia wanted standardization and flexibility, and Faculty simply wanted uncomplicated, interactive, useable space. The need was to design a facility and classrooms that would encompass all of those principles and keep costs low by following a template design that could be replicated easily so the project would stay on time and under budget.

SOLUTION

Leveraging the expertise of campus support staff, the A/V integrator and AMX sales engineers, we were able to design a building that stands out on a campus known for its beauty. The new 18 classrooms provide preference of analog or digital whiteboard use; single or up to three different sources to be projected in the projection screens; LCD monitors that serve a dual function of videoconference screens or as feedback screens so the instructor can keep his eyes focused on the audience rather than looking over his shoulder; and superior connectivity allowing for analog, digital, and mobile/wireless devices to project and interact with the technology in the classrooms. Many of these capabilities or “choices” were integrated into the lectern touch screens so that the instructor can choose when and how much technology should be used in the classroom. In addition, by working in tandem with several of our A/V vendors and integrators, we were able to come in under budget, which design, including: the ability that ultimately allowed for several “stretch enhancements” that were not part of the original building design (ability for students to openly communicate by texting to the Living Room video wall; an Executive HD wireless microphone system for the Colloquium (boardroom); and finally a host of serial port IP Link processors for greater sustainable control of the LCD signage throughout the building.

IMPACT

"When the brand new football (previously from Bowling Green) and basketball coach (previously from Tulsa) call you up to use the building’s auditorium and classroom facilities for recruiting weekends, you know the building is a success."

– John Owen, Director of Building Operations