Sports data specialists bet on Tateside for AV refurb at newly expanded London headquarters.
A company specialised in data analysis for the sporting industry recently invested in a full refurbishment and fit-out at its expanding headquarters in Camden, North London. The company has expanded its workspace to all five levels of its existing premises, taking on two new floors to extend its operations.
The services of London-based integrators, Tateside, were required to both refurbish and refresh the existing floors and fit out the new office spaces with an AV system in line with the needs of one of the industry’s leading data analytics companies.
We’ve maintained a long-standing relationship with the client over several years, so we were their first point of contact when the office expansion project began. The brief was for a complete overhaul of their current meeting room technology standards, plus the addition of background audio and digital signage zoned across the office floors. We started on the new top two floors with the eventual goal of rolling out the same standard across the existing levels, recalls Joby Morris, Project Manager at Tateside.
During the concept and design stage, the Tateside team needed to consider the existing technology that the client wanted to reuse and also integrate a Cisco-based ecosystem—the client’s chosen collaboration platform. Tateside undertook considerable product testing and consultation with manufacturers to design the best possible solution that hit the client's requirements and also integrated with third-party audio from Sennheiser. To complement the premium interior, Tateside opted for products that would both perform and blend in with the aesthetic or hide behind acoustic fabrics entirely.
Meeting room systems comprised a key aspect of the project. Two large boardrooms are each equipped with a Cisco Room Bar Pro and 85” Samsung commercial display, with enhanced audio pickup utilising Sennheiser TeamConnect ceiling microphones and Bose DM3 pendant speakers, driven by Powersoft Mezzo amplifiers, all hidden behind the fabric ceiling. Audio AEC processing is handled by Q-SYS Core Nanos, and each room features a Cisco Room Booking Panel.
“During the design phase, it was important to ensure everything would integrate smoothly with the client’s chosen provider Cisco”, recalls Morris. “Therefore, we built the system around Cisco-certified solutions”.
Another focus area is a dedicated multi-purpose events space: a larger hybrid space that can be configured as a boardroom, following the established technology standard or used as an open area for all-hands meetings or events.
Here, we introduced a Crestron control system to handle the multifaceted technology in this space, which had to be easy to operate for the end user. The room consists of a KArray sound system, multiple Samsung 85” displays, Sennheiser TeamConnect and handheld microphones, Cisco Room Bar Pro for video conferencing and a networked Blustream video over IP solution, explains Morris.
The sound system is based on K-array’s Vyper loudspeakers. Vyper 1- metre-long ultra-flat loudspeakers provide discreet yet powerful audio that can take the space from board meetings to social events. Low-end frequencies are supported by Rumble subwoofers, ultra-thin and positioned underneath each Vyper unit. Sennheiser handheld microphones were chosen for event communication, and three 85” Samsung screens supply crystal-clear visuals. To ensure unified room control, all audio-visual components can be controlled, and inputs and outputs can be selected via a wall-mounted Crestron touchscreen.
The Camden offices include various hang-out spaces for informal meetings and day-to-day collaboration, including a dining and bar area. Here, 75” Samsung Frame screens are installed, with user control via tabletop Crestron touchscreens. It was important to the client to have consistent background audio throughout as music is used to encourage a sense of well-being at the company. Inside, pairs of Bose DM3 pendant loudspeakers were chosen for their attractive appearance and performance. Outside on the terrace, four Bowers & Wilkins AM1s continue the soundtrack for employees grabbing some fresh air and offer full environmental resistance to moisture and UV. For zoning, the audio is driven by Sonos ports, with music selection enabled via a wallmounted Apple iPad.
With hundreds of sports events to analyse daily, the client relies on live streaming of matches and games as a core component of their workday. Tateside integrated a number of 50” Samsung screens, suspended from Unicol ceiling mounts, throughout the workspace, utilising the client’s existing Just Add Power 4K transmitters and receivers for video signal transmission. “For the client, the focus was solidly on speed and latency – they simply can’t have delays in live event streaming for their business”, says Morris. “Tateside first introduced a Just Add Power solution to them around 10 years ago, and our recommendation is still serving their needs today”. Aside from sports, the screens are also used for digital signage, such as news and data content.
For the Tateside team, this project marked a milestone, both in scale and in the strength of their relationship-building with clients.
We’ve worked with this client for over a decade now, and as technology evolves and new products and solutions come out, it is a testament to our level of service and expertise that they continue to reach out to us for all their AV needs. This is important for us in terms of our integrity and helps build our reputation as a truly client-focused service provider, confirms Morris.
