Washington Tacoma University Relies on Extron for New Building

The campus encompasses more than 115 Learning spaces. These have been equipped with the AV systems of Extron to promote cross-collaboration between all the disciplines represented by the seven faculties of the University of Washington Tacoma.

The University of Washington (UW) Tacoma is a member of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU), formed by 42 public research teaching centres located in 24 states with a demonstrated commitment to their urban areas. Offers 60 Bachelor's degrees and 15 Graduate Schools of Education, engineering, Business, infirmary, social work, Criminal Justice and Urban Studies.

The campus, overlooking the Port of Tacoma and Mount Rainier, It is housed in centuries-old brick warehouse buildings that evoke the area's history as a transport terminal for the port's railway. These have been renovated to preserve their historical significance, while also being updated as modern learning spaces. The campus also has newly constructed buildings, including Milgard Hall. Retail, Museums and restaurants have opened nearby, increasing traffic and transforming a once-moribund area into a vibrant student city.

The campus encompasses more than 115 learning spaces that are equipped with Extron AV systems that help foster cross-collaboration between all disciplines represented by the seven colleges at UW Tacoma.

“We have been an Extron campus for the past few years. 18 Years I've been with the university. When I started here, Install 406 Switches and button panels. We made the leap to DTP and XTP matrix switches and TouchLink Pro touchscreens as soon as they came out. And we've stuck with Extron ever since., including its technology in Milgard Hall”, Explains Josh Carper, Computer Maintenance Technician III from the University of Washington Tacoma.

Modernize century-old buildings

The Tacoma campus opened in 1997, turning nineteenth-century warehouses into twenty-first-century academic spaces. Six historic abandoned half-brick structures, full of rusty parts for World War II Jeeps and home to hundreds of pigeons, were destroyed, Enhanced and wired for 21st century technology.

“Our goal is to keep learning spaces productive. The best AV equipment for this task is reliable equipment that can be installed and maintained by in-house staff. Thanks to Extron standardization, users and maintenance personnel are fully familiar with AV products. We're all comfortable with systems. We can also maintain a reduced spare stock. Resulting in time and money savings, benefiting all interested parties”, Says Joe Kapler, Computer Maintenance Technician III from the University of Washington Tacoma

The fact that Extron equipment can be found in nearly every learning space on the Tacoma campus is the result of a methodical conversion to Extron over the course of the year. 18 years. Joe Kapler, Computer Maintenance Technician III, began installing televisions and VCRs at the Tacoma campus in 1997, when these were considered avant-garde audiovisual teaching materials.

When Extron introduced the MediaLink configurable drivers, Kapler saw the possibility of simplifying the user's AV experience with the ease of pressing just a couple of buttons, So he began to install them in the classrooms. And people love it.

As edtech systems have grown and become more sophisticated, Tacoma classes have migrated to the IP Link Control Processors with TouchLink Pro Touchscreens to keep the user experience simple and intuitive. Then came the microphones augmented by the Extron audio DSP and the Presentation Switches that equip rooms with full AV switching capabilities, Video Scaling, Audio Processing, amplification and control in a single, compact unit that has helped meet the design goals of standardizing AV rack heights.

Milgard Hall

UW Tacoma's long history with Extron is the main reason why the school's AV team specified AV switching equipment, distribution, Extron control and audio for Milgard Hall. The design and installation of the AV system for this space was done by McKinstry, who carried out the construction of the electrical systems, of data, audiovisual, fire alarm and access control.

Milgard Hall landed on the drawing board at the right time. We used everything we had learned from upgrading the AV systems of the already existing historic buildings on the Tacoma campus and applied all this experience to these brand new teaching facilities. Extron's modern AV systems deliver the collaboration capabilities that were one of the key design goals for this unique and beautiful structure. We are very excited about the result”, Adds Paul Lovelady, Manager, Media Services, Information Technology at the University of Washington Tacoma.

Within its three floors, the 5.110 square meters of modern construction of the Milgard Hall house elements of the Faculty of Business, laboratory spaces that support the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, A space for global design and innovation, and a teaching space for high-impact practices (HIP).

The building has shared classes, a computer lab and shared collaboration spaces. These spaces allow interaction between the different academic programs, as well as the large Tacoma community. Audiovisual services are everywhere.

High Impact Internship Seminar

The HIP room boasts a projection screen main of 220 inches in the front, enlarged by four display devices 85 inches on sidewalls. PTZ Cameras on three walls capture room activity from multiple angles. One Professional Audio System It has Wireless microphones and column speakers Wall mounted. There are connector panels located throughout the room to connect the HDMI and SDI video sources, plus audio sources.

The HIP lectern contains a switch Six Tickets SW6 HD 4K Plus to select AV educational content from a multitude of sources, including a computer, A Guest Laptop, A document camera, a wireless video receiver, a Blu-ray player, Gooseneck Microphone and Gooseneck Webcam. Additional video and audio sources can provide content by connecting to the Cable Cubby on the music stand work surface. XTP Transmitters and Receivers make the AV connections for signals from the lectern to the main AV rack in the control room and vice versa.

A control room is located behind the windows on the back wall of the HIP room. For large-scale events, a technical director operates the AV system from a TouchLink Pro touchscreen of 15 desktop that controls the operation of the AV system in the same way and with the same user interface as a desktop touchscreen 10 East Studio Wall Mounted Inches.

The director also has a keyboard and mouse to interact with the control room computer and select AV content. A display device 55 inches above the desk helps the director see the program material displayed in the room.

Behind the operator's desk is an equipment rack that houses a XTP II CrossPoint 3200 with a variety of input and output cards that accommodate XTP AV Signals, SDI, HDMI and Dante that come and go not only from the lectern, but also of the wall plaques located on the four walls of the living room and the study. The rack also contains other AV equipment, including a Link Pro IP Control Processor for AV system control, one SMP Streaming Media Processor 352 that captures AV sources and presentations as recorded multimedia and streams live or on-demand.

In addition, there are WiFi and RF listening aid servers in the rack that allow attendees to hear through on-site receivers or their own smartphones. Wireless microphone receivers allow multiple presenters to speak through lavalier or handheld microphones. One Dante Audio DSP Processor Adapts audio characteristics for optimal intelligibility. Audio amplifiers power the room's many speakers. There is also a base station for the space's extensive intercom system. At last, Rack contains a control room computer to provide additional AV content, and a central Ethernet switch to the room's AV LAN.

Tuition 301 and 311

These are the largest classes in the building, each with seating for 80 students. AV Systems, identical in both rooms, have been built around a Slideshow Switcher Eight Tickets IN1808 and a 12-inch audio DSP processor×8 DMP 128 Plus equipped with AEC, VoIP and Dante and extended with an expansion processor with DSP and Dante XMP 240 that increases the audio processing capacity to 36 canals.

In each room, a laser projector and two display devices 75 display video content sent by the switcher via DTP connectivity. Two in-wall speakers in each room provide clear sound that is selected and processed by the DMP 128 Bonus.

Available AV content sources include an instructor computer, a Blu-ray player, A document camera, a webcam mounted on the lectern, a roof-mounted PTZ, a wireless video receiver and an auxiliary HDMI input panel.

Audio sources include two wireless microphones, two ceiling-mounted directional microphone arrays and microphone or line audio sources connected to an auxiliary connector panel that also includes an HDMI port, one Ethernet/LAN port, a convenient AC outlet and USB charging port.

The AV system control is handled by an IPCP Pro control processor 250 xi, with a TouchLink Pro touchscreen from 10 inches on the lectern providing the user interface.

Laboratories

All three floors have laboratories. For Construction Engineering Students, The first floor has a concrete laboratory and a combustion laboratory.

On the second floor, There is a soil mechanics/geotechnology laboratory and a hydrology laboratory. Engineering students experience biomechanics and robotics laboratories on the second floor. The third floor includes an air quality/environmental laboratory for environmental science students. AV systems are found in mobile carts.

The lab's AV carts are built around a Matrix Switch with DTP CrossPoint Scaler of 8×4 with integrated audio DSP and integrated AV system control processor. A computer, A document camera, a wireless microphone receiver, a wireless video receiver, a Blu-ray player and webcam provide the inputs to the matrix, all mounted on the cart. A wall-mounted PTZ camera also transmits video to the switcher.

DTP connectivity creates the video connection between the carts and two wall-mounted display devices 75 Inch. Two wall-mounted speakers are powered by an audio amplifier in the cart. Each cart has a network switch for connectivity to the building's LAN, and a 10-inch touchscreen″ above the cart providing the interface to the AV operator.

Our AV class designs aim to meet user expectations. They handle a large number of AV sources: Lectern computers, Guest Laptops, Blu-ray players, Document Cameras, Ceiling microphones and wireless exchange.

“Capturing Panopto training sessions and distance learning through unified communications applications like Zoom is the norm. We've spent the whole summer adapting old buildings and classrooms to these standards, and we are still upgrading AV systems in two or three learning spaces per year”, Says Paul Lovelady, Manager, Media Services, Information Technology at the University of Washington Tacoma.

Breakout rooms

The third floor includes six small group rooms that are used for small gatherings, Collaboration sessions and video conferencing. Supporting these rooms, easy-to-use AV systems are minimalist.

A display device 65 inches occupies the front wall of the room. Under the display device is a SB soundbar 33 A for Extron that works directly with the audio of this device. A computer is mounted on the wall next to the display device.

A webcam, connected to the computer via USB, It is mounted on the shelf of the soundbar that allows video conferencing. The computer connects directly to the display device via DisplayPort. This computer runs applications of unified communications such as Zoom and Teams for meetings with remote participants.

The computer can provide audiovisual content to the display device from internal storage or from the university's LAN. In addition, HDMI ports on the display device receive content from a laptop and wireless video receiver, allowing room occupants to contribute audiovisual content via cable or wirelessly.

All AV equipment is manually switched on and off with a single button and switching between computer and laptop is carried out manually using the display device's HDMI input selection control.

TouchLink TLS back-up screens connected to CollegeNET 25Live via the Room Agent software are installed next to the door of the breakout rooms. Students and instructors can book the rooms through their computers, mobile devices or directly on the TLS screens by the door.

More spaces with AV equipment

There are many more AV venues in Milgard Hall. Meeting rooms are available, Small conference rooms, Study spaces and interview rooms located throughout the building. These are equipped with AV systems similar to the minimalist systems of the small group rooms, optimized for situations where room reservation capabilities, Wireless video conferencing and content sharing are not necessary.

An open assembly space and large conference room on the second and third floors feature classroom-like AV systems with 80 seats. IN1808 Presentation Switchers and DMP Audio DSP Processors 128 Plus form the center of the AV systems of these venues.

A display device 85 inches replaces multiple devices found in classrooms, sound systems have more speakers than those used in classes and some AV teaching materials that are not essential for meeting applications have not been included. Large conference room includes a tabletop microphone array, USB and HDMI hotspots on conference table and TLS backup screens by doors.

Computer room borrows design from HIP's AV system. A CrossPoint DTP Matrix Switcher 8×4 and a DMP Audio DSP Processor 128 Bonus are the key units. As in HIP spaces, There are ceiling microphones and wireless microphones, a Blu-ray player, Document Camera, PTZ Camera, webcam and a wireless video receiver. Two projectors with DTP connectivity to matrix switching display audiovisual content on 110 screens″. Sound is provided by six SoundField® speakers.

Located on the third floor is the financial wellness operations room. It has a display device of 75 inches that work with a dedicated computer that streams the Bloomberg financial news channel.

Accompanying this display device are two other display devices of 75 and a projector with a screen of 110 Inch. Everyone receives content via DTP connectivity from a CrossPoint DTP presentation switching matrix of 8×6.

A wireless microphone receiver, A wireless video receiver and two computers provide the inputs to the array. One computer is dedicated to video conferencing and a webcam and two PTZs support it. The other computer functions as the instructor's computer, supplying content from internal storage or from the university's LAN. Audio is provided by two in-wall speakers.

"Milgard Hall represents a space that welcomes students and community members and where business and industry can strengthen partnerships," he comments Sheila Edwards Lange, UW Tacoma Chancellor. "At Milgard Hall, Our students build better lives for themselves and their communities."

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