BACKGROUND:
When the IW Group, an award-winning, full-service advertising and PR agency, planned their move to a new facility, they not only imagine workspace upgrades but a complete re-designed, welcoming, comfortable environments that would make the workplace enjoyable for their employees.
THE CHALLENGE:
AV Planners worked alongside the IW architects, interior designers, CEO, and their IT team to develop and redesign a space in the NY Life Building in the Mid Wilshire area that would be functional, Feng Shui balanced, all while being aesthetically pleasing.
‘‘A challenge when it comes to the Audio Visual aspect, beyond making technology seamless and ‘invisible’, the right acoustics for clear audio is not an easy feat when you’re dealing with polished concrete floors, wall to wall glass windows and high 15’ open space ceiling,’’ said Eric Petersen PM, AV Planners.
THE SOLUTION:
The end result? A Stylish, modern, playful AND functional workspace.
A dynamic space was created with some Lounge Rooms decked out with beanbags, accessible Apple TVs, and playful break rooms, which were named by the employees themselves after Los Angeles neighborhoods such as Hollywood, The Valley, and DTLA. It became a space where employees instantly felt at ease to catch up or grab a controller for a quick game on the newly installed PlayStations.
Shure MXA microphones were hung from the ceiling, in fact, the complete setup included 18 microphones with advanced audio conferencing capabilities.
”There just isn’t another microphone quite like this; the MXA microphone does a phenomenal job of picking up the voices in the room. We didn’t want to distract from the aesthetics of the room, these are invisible and dynamic in terms of picking up each particular voice,’’ said Peterson.
The polished concrete floors where not ideal for the acoustics of the room. However, with automatic echo cancellation using the Biamp Tesira Forte, as well as automatic gain control and noise cancellation.The space became a clear, echo-free environment.
Several huddle spaces were designed, for quick in-house meetings. They were strategically placed among the open office spaces, each containing a large display with a Crestron auto-switcher, Air Media (for BYOD), and wireless presentation. As a bonus, they got one of the first and long-awaited Google Jamboards—an easy to move, flexible, interactive whiteboard that will be sure to be the most popular item around the office.
The moment you enter the Main Lobby you’re greeted with an impressive, crystal clear, 3×1 video wall.This digital signage solution allows for one large image or multiple images to be displayed. IW uses this solution to welcome their clients with their impressive portfolio or daily announcements.
One of their unique spaces is their Great Room;with impressive steel barn doors that open up to a stadium-style seating in this all-hands-in meeting room, perfect for video conferencing with large groups. It’s here where two 90’’ inch NEC Display were installed with a Polycom Group Series 500, a Vaddio camera off to the side, and a Shure microphone solution.
When your client portfolio ranges from Coca-Cola to Lexus, to HBO and McDonald’s, you need a designated area specifically designed for high-level meetings. That’s exactly what their Executive Conference room became—a grand space for video, teleconferencing and presentation tools to cover every need imaginable. The impressive room was outfitted with the Crestron Air Media, pendant speakers by Sound Tube, a Biamp TesiraForte, Shure MXA, and a Polycom system. All with a complete Crestron Control System linked to an iPad for touch control. One side of the room features an 84” Microsoft Surface Hub for collaboration while the other side shows off a huge 90” NEC Display Screen with a Polycom Group 500 Series for calls or presentations.
AV Planners takes pride in the designing of the entire system and careful planning of spaces for the IW Group office. Are you looking to revamp or move into a new space? AV Planners can help you maximize the use of your space, bridging aesthetics and function for a more enjoyable work experience.
Email us at info@avplanners.com, give us a call at 213-493-6473 or fill out the contact form below.
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