Project Perspective
To keep up with a rapidly expanding school, IONA College needed to expand their gymnasium. The existing gym comprised of a single basketball court and was predominantly used for sport activities. This extension added a second court and retractable tiered seating allowing the space to be used for more than just sports and has become the main space for assemblies.
JBA Consulting Engineers worked closely architect Morton + Co to design a space that would blend with the schools existing facilities. The construction project was awarded to Plan Group, with MultiTek Solutions awarded the contract for the Audio Visual package which originally comprised of only an Audio system. Along the way, the project expanded to include the installation of 2 large LED Displays
Technical Requirements
One of the primary requirements was to ensure flexibility throughout the space as it can be used in several configurations; tiered seating, open dual court or single court with an operable barrier.
The school also wanted the space to have a wow factor, so ultimately decided on 2 large, 250″ (5.5m x 3m) LED screens, with one either side of the stage opening.
As there is no fixed presentation location or connection points, an AVoIP solution was the logical choice, with several portable HDMI encoders able to connect to the network in anywhere a network point is available.
The existing gym utilised a PA system which needed to be expanded to cover the new space effectively requiring additional main front of house speakers.
Outcomes
Absen PL Plus V2 was selected for the LED screens as they offered excellent value and durability, with both screens taking 2 staff members just 2 days to completely installed.
At the heart of the system, a Q-Sys Core 110fx provides audio processing and control, and Q-Sys NV endpoints provide video over network transport. A Q-Sys Network PTZ camera adds the ability to record, stream and display video directly to the LED screen. Shure SLXD wireless microphones
