An innovative £26m building at the heart of Edge Hill University’s campus, the Catalyst building will house the University’s Library, Careers and Student Services functions in its contemporary 8,000 square metre space.

It will be an inspiring 24/7 destination for the Edge Hill community with welcoming, knowledgeable staff on hand to support student life, research, learning and career development.

Drama by Design were engaged by the University to carry out the detailed design, co-ordination project management, testing and commissioning of all the AV systems throughout the new building and also for the old library building which was converted for teaching.

Catalyst has meeting rooms on all four floors of the building all of which contain a mix of fixed and height adjustable tables of varying sizes. These incorporate a display screen mounted on the end of the table with computer built into a secure housing, local input plate, control panel and video conferencing camera with beam forming microphone to focus on voice capture.

There are two training rooms equipped with AV systems. One features three collaborative tables with display screens plus a teachers lectern with display screen. The tables can either be used for separate groups to work around the screens or can receive signal from the teacher’s lectern. There are video cameras for lecture capture, sound systems and wireless presentation devices. Occupancy systems shut down the systems in all rooms when not in use.

Signage screens around the building can receive a range of different signage sources via a video matrix controlled from a central touch panel. The system also enables presenters to connect the laptops for book launches or other events.

The old library was completely gutted and refurbished and contains a number of teaching rooms spread over three floors. Different quantities and sizes of projection screens and displays screens have been provided to suit the different sizes and shapes of the rooms. All are connected to a teacher’ s lectern incorporating a PC, DVD player, input plate and touch control panel.

A Harvard style lecture theatre is at the heart of the ground floor. In order to ensure content can be viewed from all the seats this incorporates two 98” large format displays either side of the lectern position with a further seven 48” displays distributed around the room. There is a voice reinforcement system consisting of ceiling speakers together with a pair of column point source speakers for programme sound. The lectern incorporates a PC, visualiser, DVD player, 10” touch control panel and the room is provided with an HD PTZ camera for lecture capture and Infra Red assisted listening system.