Acentech completes Villanova University School of Law project

Acentech Inc. provided architectural acoustics and audiovisual and information technology systems design services for the new Villanova University School of Law building. Acentech's senior design consultants worked for four years with the Law School, the project architect SmithGroup of Washington, D.C., and an estimator to develop audiovisual and information technology systems that met both the school's functional needs and the project budget allowance. State-of-the-art audiovisual systems were designed for eight lecture hall/classrooms, five moot courtrooms, multiple staff and administrative conference rooms, a media head-end facility with centralized digital rich media recording and audiovisual system control, a networked digital file-based interview clinic suite, as well as facility-wide digital signage and touch panel way-finding systems. For the school's extensive information technology infrastructure, multiple high-performance networks were designed to support wired and wireless Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), audiovisual systems, Internet access, and student services applications. Seeking LEED Silver certification, Villanova's new School of Law building features 175,000 s/f of space for classrooms, faculty offices, the library, and The Clinic's model law office, designed on four floors to serve the school's 720 students. In addition to providing design documents and specifications, Acentech's consultants provided bid reviews, construction administration, and final system commissioning to ensure that the completed installations met or exceeded the school's expectations. Careful equipment, vendor and professional audiovisual integrator selection provided a streamlined and extremely cost-effective outcome. All of the new system equipment is permanently installed and centrally controlled and monitored, representing a significant departure from the school's former cart-based media delivery methodology. As a result, the current media services staff can manage the vastly expanded facility with improved efficiency and responsiveness. "Our integrated suite of consulting specialties allows us to help architects create teaching and learning spaces that students and faculty love to use," said Ernie Schirmer, RCDD/NTS CTS, director of technology consulting and managing director of Acentech's mid-Atlantic office. "Tight coordination between audiovisual systems, information technology infrastructure, and acoustical design resulted in virtually seamless technology integration, intuitive control interfaces, and an exceptional experience for staff, student and faculty at Villanova School of Law."