The auditorium was remodeled taking into account the installation of robust equipment, low maintenance, easy handling, recognized brands and experience in the education sector.
Richard Santa
The Jorge Gómez Cusnir North Headquarters auditorium is a space that belongs to the University Foundation of Health Sciences, located in Bogotá, Colombia, which provides services for internal events of the institution and others that require it.
With capacity for 200 people, the auditorium required a technological update and adaptation to the new realities for a high-class auditorium. The company Schallertech was in charge of implementing all the integration, which included acoustic, electro acoustic, audiovisual, lighting and finishes design.
The engineer María Fernanda Niño was in charge of the entire integration process. She told AVI LATINOAMÉRICA that a remodeling was necessary since the magnificent structural form was unused for the acoustic benefit of the space. As an added value, the automation of the auditorium was offered.
To achieve the award, Schallertech presented an extensive study with plans and detail of equipment. The project began in December 2015, starting remodeling work since January 2016, with a total change in the endowment that until now had the auditorium. The execution of the project was in charge of the company's engineering team and contractors in the electrical, acoustic and flooring areas.
Video Systems
The video solution of the Jorge Gomez Cusnir auditorium included an interactive LED monitor and video output, which means that the user with his portáti has no need to install software or drivers so that the monitor can work. Everything the user writes or projects on the monitor will be transmitted to a WXGA projector with Panasonic 30,000 lumens DLP Laser LED technology.
The surface on which it is projected is a motorized screen of 200 inches in its diagonal, 16: 9 format, and has a gain factor of 2.4, which means that the image will have an appearance as if the projector were 7,200 lumens, thus improving the definition and quality of the image. The integration allows handling by RS232 protocol or dry contact, in order to be integrable with the room automation system.
And anticipating that the auditorium exceeds the capacity in some events, they adapted adjacent rooms that will be used as auxiliary rooms. For this purpose, a Crestron video distribution system was installed, consisting of a video matrix of 7 inputs by 4 outputs with HDBaseT technology.
Audio and acoustics
Given the characteristics of the auditorium, Schallertech recommended having a system that allows the use of the space both for master classes, where the speaker must have the possibility of managing the system without the need for external operators, and in the same way that artistic presentations can be made for which the support of an operator is necessary.
For both uses, a modular stereo system of self-amplified speakers type colum-array was installed as a sound reinforcement of the auditorium. These speakers allow a wide range of vertical and horizontal dispersion angles and transient waveguides, that is, to generate a variable coverage pattern.
For the artistic presentations they included a subsonic reproduction speaker or subwoofer, located at floor level for the correct transmission of subsonic frequencies with a maximum (SPL) of 127 dB at peak, a minimum frequency response comprising from 40Hz to 120 Hz and minimum power of 1600W.
They also made the insulation and acoustic conditioning for the correct use of the enclosure, based on international standards, taking into account ceilings, walls, silencers, doors, ducts, pipes and windows.
Automated auditorium
The installed automation system allows the integration and easy use of all multimedia solutions. For this, a Crestron system was used, because its functionality allows integration within the same device: control and distribution of audio and video.
With this system, the control of the general lighting of the auditorium, audio and video, motorized screen and projector is carried out. The auditorium also has a controller using IP, RS-232 and IR protocols and for its operation five buttons were installed for the control of scenes, located: one in the access of the auditorium, two close to the podium and one in each attached room.
María Fernanda Niño pointed out that the technology and brands chosen are handled by the company, and were filtered with the needs of the client, taking into account which were the most recommended to give a complete solution. In addition, the representation of these brands and their authorized distributors was an important factor.
"For the client, the results were successful, their auditorium is a space to show constantly, the change for the staff that evidenced the improvement was total. They have made a 100% use exposing the results obtained to the university and external community," he added.
Difficulties overcome
Like any complex process, the intervention in the auditorium of the University Foundation of Health Sciences, had some technical and logistical difficulties, because from the beginning it was not clear the scope of the remodeling, so, in the execution, the client made changes that affected the normal development of the project. The changes were related to issues such as air conditioning installation, fire detection system, electrical quantities, etc.
María Fernanda Niño added that another difficult issue was having a woman leading a project in which 90% of those involved were men. "Women can do many things, because we have the ability, the means and the attitude; we just need constant support, constructive criticism, support each other as a gender from our strengths, to empower our role."
