AVIA 2016 WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Best Application of AV in Education with a budget over $500,000

University of Technology Sydney, for its Superlab

The project objective was to deliver a large, new generation, science-teaching laboratory that would cater to up to 12 concurrent classes; scalable from 14 to 200 students. The superlab integrates multiple complex technologies to deliver a scalable, unified media delivery solution for lecturing staff and students. The Audio communication system is formidable, meeting the needs of mobility, clarity and scalability for lecturer-to-student communication and delivery of program sound to each workstation. This was an Everest of an AV design to tackle, and UTS climbed it.

Judges’ Comments: Although the Superlab classroom format has been gaining ground in recent years as cost- and resource-efficient way of delivering science teaching to undergraduates, delivering the audio content of multiple simultaneous teaching sessions has proved to be a thorny problem producing a range of solutions that have varied widely in both effectiveness and cost efficiency. The judges were especially impressed by the UTS-developed solution from an in-house team led by Reg Collins, Rob Hardy, David Connolly and Raife Merchant.

Best Application of AV in a Commercial or Government Installation with a budget in excess of $500,000

Rutledge AV, for the AGL office at 699 Bourke Street Melbourne

The AGL new head office is a large, complex Activity Based Working environment and needed smart AV systems to keep pace with the group interactions and collaboration. AGL’s 29 video conferencing rooms needed to integrate with their MS Lync environment using the Polycom CX8000/Crestron RL2 device as the preferred codec. Despite some constraints on the hardware and although untested at the time, the integration has been executed to an exemplary standard. The range of systems, user interfaces and consistency delivered by Rutledge AV ensures that this modern office environment is a first-class experience for all 1500 employees.

Judges’ Comments: The judges were impressed with the excellence of Rutledge AV’s professional approach to implementing over 150 AV facilities across this very large and diverse Activity Based Working project.

Best Application of AV in Education with budget between $100K & $500K

AVDEC, for the University of New England’s VITAL STEMMEd Space

The remote teaching of science and technology subjects isn’t easy. Freeing a lecturer from a lectern to conduct experiments and demonstrations requires considerable planning. AVDEC worked with University of New England’s academic staff to design a demonstration space that affords lecturers real freedom to teach as they would a classroom. Flexible camera and audio coverage was crucial, as was loudspeaker coverage to facilitate natural real-time question & answer interactions. A control system was designed around teaching scenarios for easy one-button configuration changes. The result is an affordable solution that can be reproducable even in remote locations.

Judges’ Comments: AVDEC’s flexible, well-designed and easy-to-operate solution for the Virtual Teaching and Learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths, Medicine, and Education impressed both the client and the judging panel with the quality of the design and the implementation of this pilot project. The judges were also impressed with the level of client satisfaction and enthusiasm about the value of this project as a template for distance education over the web.

Best Application of AV in a Commercial or Government Installation with a budget up to $100,000

PowerComs, for its AV upgrade of the Purewa, NZ cemetery

It started as a simple request: create a video link using the old fibre-optic cable infrastructure, and an existing Axis CCTV system, to provide a platform that could enable staff at multiple locations to monitor services. Powercoms and Purewa then went further. After selecting a Gefen video distribution platform, the scope expanded to transform the funeral home into a full blown live streaming media production house. It now includes a Q-Sys Core Processor as an audio processor and control platform; an automated overflow option to combine multiple chapels for simultaneous use; the ability to record and broadcast services live to the web in full HD; an audio upgrade; as well as the ability to handle virtually any media a family may wish to bring to a funeral service without the need for a technician on site; and all for a budget of around $50,000. This is the AV upgrade that has the whole funeral services industry talking, and for good reason.

Judges’ Comments: This modestly-budgeted project delighted the judges with its impressive application of ingenuity and innovative thinking to produce results that exceeded any reasonable expectations of its capabilities. This project is seen by the judges as a shining example of the clever application of AV technology to deliver a project without necessarily reaching for the shiniest solution on the shelf.

Judges’ Commendations

Prendi, for its work on the The Wonder Room at All Saints Anglican School

Judges’ Comments: The judges were impressed with the excellence of Prendi’s work in using technologies normally found in museums, retail and display environments and bringing them into the classroom to offer innovative, engaging and exciting learning channels for students.

ResolutionX for its work on the Prime Minister’s Olympic Dinner event

TDC, for its projection mapping and technical direction at the Vivid festival Sydney

Judges’ Comments: The judges noted that these entries in the AV Production category were both from production companies with impeccable reputations for technical excellence in delivering flawless and well-prepared systems, into projects at standards that never fail to impress their clients and their clients’ audiences. When asked to review the quality of their service on the nominated projects, their referees could not praise them highly enough.