In concert with wide-ranging, 60,000 SF architectural renovations to Hawthorne and Melville Halls at Berkshire Community College, Vantage is providing technology consulting services to NBBJ Architects. The upgraded facilities include interactive audiovisual systems in over 50 classrooms, lecture halls, teaching labs, nursing suites and social spaces, as well as architectural acoustics, mechanical noise and vibration control, and building-wide security consulting services.
This project is the foundational undertaking of a five-year strategic plan to transform the award-winning institution to address a recent surge in student enrollment as well as new initiatives in learning engagement, student achievement, infrastructure improvement, institutional advancement and collaborative partnerships.
As part of the AV technology upgrades, Vantage is specifying Extron ShareLink 200 N systems, secure wireless BYOD portal systems that allow students to connect to presentation systems from personal mobile devices via the school’s existing WiFi network. The BYOD portals will be available in all 50 classrooms, labs, meeting rooms and lecture halls to encourage interactive teaching and learning, idea sharing, content co-creation and collaborative problem solving.
Classrooms will also receive Epson Brightlink Pro interactive projectors that allow instructors and students to annotate displayed images in real time and then save, share and e-mail notes as needed to support flexible pedagogies as well as established curriculums. Vantage is specifying the projectors with SMART Notebook software to support the College’s existing instructional materials.
Founded in 1960, BCC was the first community college established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In 1972, the college moved to a 180-acre site four miles from the center of Pittsfield. Last year, nearly 3,000 students enrolled in day or evening courses at the main campus, off-campus sites, or online. The Hawthorne and Melville Hall renovation is expected to be complete in Q4 of 2016.
NBBJ Architects has locations in Beijing, Boston, Columbus, London, Los Angeles, New York, Pune, San Francisco, Seattle and Shanghai. Named among the top 10 most innovative architecture firms by Fast Company, NBBJ and has partnered with companies including Google, Amazon, Samsung and Microsoft.
Links
Berkshire Community College Blog: blogs.berkshirecc.edu/hawthornemelville/
NBBJ Home: www.nbbj.com/
Extron Sharelink: www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=sharelink200&s=4
Epson Brightlink Pro: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/Product.do?sku=V11H665520
SMART Notebook: http://education.smarttech.com/products/notebook