State-of-the-art technology provides interactive learning for university

by Jacquie Clancy | April 21, 2015 2:57 am

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Acoustics consulting firm Acentech has provided an updated audiovisual (AV) systems design for the University of Notre Dame’s Stayer Center for Executive Education at the Mendoza College of Business.

Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, the 5899-m² (63,500-sf) multi-story educational building is the new home of the school’s executive MBA program and its executive education custom and certificate programs.

Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the Stayer Center’s exterior collegiate Gothic style maintains the architectural consistency of the campus established by Ralph Adams Cram in the 1920s. However, the interior features are now modern and technologically advanced. Some of the design’s key features include:
● large, soaring windows providing plenty of natural light;
● two-story grand concourse;
● entrances on each side of the building; and
● garden terraces large enough to hold graduation ceremonies and other events.

The building also received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

The Stayer Center’s focus was on advanced technology deployment to service the community. The building features multiple executive-style classrooms and team spaces with state-of-the art educational technology to accommodate interactive learning. Its extended ceiling heights were designed with the AV systems as the primary driver in the room configurations. The integration of audiovisual technology along with the architecture required multiple audiovisual design models to be constructed. An all-digital backbone system for the transport of the audiovisual signals throughout the whole building was employed.

Architectural acoustics were also considered, focused on achieving excellent speech intelligibility in the classrooms and conference rooms, and supporting the acoustical needs for the advanced AV operation. This was accomplished by recommending sound-absorptive and reflective surfaces on the walls and ceilings, upgrading constructions for suitable sound isolation, and working with the mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) team to achieve low background noise levels from the mechanical systems.

 

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/state-of-the-art-technology-provides-interactive-learning-for-university/

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