An Uncommon Common Area
Electronics Design Group used its considerable expertise in both commercial and residential installation to create what senior project manager John Montgomery describes as a state-of-the-art amenity space – the activity anchor of a tony condominium complex on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
“The best descriptive word for the project is ‘crossover,’” explains Montgomery. “It uses the best elements of both commercial and residential installations.
“To have a space like this in an apartment complex is almost a necessity,” adds Montgomery. And with consumers’ technology-access needs multiplying exponentially by the minute these days, EDG’s mandate was to make the space easy to use, but also as fully loaded as it needed to be.
Technology Budget:
$ 185,000
* Excludes; Architect, Interior Designer, Carpenter & Furnishings.
Equipment List
(1) Dell 2224 Dell Power Connect Switch
(1) Active Thermal 00-100-02 System 1
(1) Digital Projection 104-087 dVision HD/1080p Lense 2.73-4.37:1/2.3-3.7:1
(1) Digital Projection 105-284 300 Watt Lamp & Housing
(1) Digital Proj. 106-310 dVision Projector Ceiling Mount
(1) Digital Projection 106-487 Theaterscope Premier Package for dVision 1080p. Includes isco 1.33 Anamorphic Lens & Motorized Slider
(1) RS Engineering 12 x 12 View Port 12 x 12 Projector View Port
(650) Wire 14/4 Speaker Plenum 14 Gauge 4 Conductor Speaker Wire
(1) Extron 60-300-02 Two Gang AAP Mounting Frame
(1) Extron 70-090-11 Extron Blank 1 Space
(1) Extron 70-093-12 3 RCA Plate for Component Video
(1) Extron 70-093-12 3 RCA Plate for Component Video
(2) Extron 70-101-13 15 Pin HD Female to Female Barrel, 3.5 mm Headphone Jack
(1) Extron 70-332-11 RJ45 AAP Insert
(1) TOA A-912DH Modular Matrix Mixer/Amp, Rack Mount Incl.
(13) Speakercraft Accufit CRS7 One In-Ceiling Accufit Speaker with 7” Propylene Cone Woofer
(1) ATS Acoustical Treatments 1” Square Edge Acoustical Wall Panels faced w/knoll foundation w/351.23 Panels Total
(1) Crestron BB-6L Back Box for TPS-6L
(2) Speakercraft BB835-R 8 Channel Amplifier with Rack Mount, 35W per channel
(1) Sony BDPS550 Blu-Ray HD DvD Player
(1) Crestron C2N-SPWS300 External Cresnet Power Supply 300W
(300) Wire CAT 5e Plenum Category 5 Enhanced - 4 Pair 24 Gauge Ethernet Wire
(1) Integra CDC-3.4 6-Disc Carousel Changer
(2) Crestron CEN-IDOC Interface for Apple iPod.
Includes CEN-IDOC-DS Docking Station
(1) Crestron CLS-C6B iLux Integrated Lighting System
(2) Crestron CNPWS-75 Ext. Cresnet Power Supply, 75W
(1) Crestron CNPWSI-75 Ext. 24 VDC 75 Wt Pwr Supply
(1) Crestron CNTBLOCK Network Terminal Block
(1) Crestron CNX-PAD8A 8 x 8 Matrix Audio Switcher
(1) Crestron CNXRMC Room Control Box
(1) Crestron CP2E 2 Series control processor with ethernet
(1) Crestron CP2E 2 Series control processor with ethernet
(2) TOA D-001T Dual Line/Mic Input Module w/DSP
(1) Integra DTA-9.4 7 Channel Pure Dig Hm Thtr Amplifier
(1) Integra DTC-9.8 THX Ultra2, 7.1 Channel 3/Zone Preamplifier/Processor
(1) Digital Projection dVision 30-1080P-XC 1080P DLP Projector
(1) Middle Atlantic EB1 1 Space
(1) D-link EBR-2310 4-Port Enthernet Broadband Router
(150) Wire EDG Cresnet Plenum Custom Control Cable - 22/1 Pair, Twisted and Shielded 16/2
(1) Raxxess ER-8 8 Space In-Wall Equipment Rack
(2) Middle Atlantic ERK-SYS ERK Equipment Rack System (ERK Rack, Caster Base, Custom Rack Shelves, Blanks, Ventilation Panels, and Wire Mgmt
(1) Client Supplied Fios HD Cable Box Fios HD Cable Box
(1) Middle Atlantic HTX Star Post Security Rack Screws 50 pcs. Requires TBIT
(3) Triad In Wall Bronze/4 LCR In-Wall LCR Speaker
(2) Triad InRoom Bronze Power Sub Subwoofer
(4) Triad InWall Bronze/4 Surround InWall Surround Spkr
(4) Speakercraft IRE-1.0 IR Emitter
(1) Crestron IRP2 Infrared Emitter Probe w/2-pin Mini Cnctr
(1) Key Digital KD-HDP16 16ft HDMI Male to Male Cable
(7) Crestron LEPB-5 Power Extender - Electronic Low - Voltage Dimming Control
(1) ClearOne MAXEX Conferencing management and distribution device
(2) Shure MX395W/O White Button Mic, Omni, 3-Pin XLR, Ceiling Mount
(9) Triad NCB New Construction Bracket
(1) Middle Atlantic PD-620C-NS 6 Outlet, Single
20 Amp Circuit Power Strip w/cord & blade plug
(1) Middle Atlantic PD-915R 9 Outlet, Single 15Amp Circuit, Surge/Spike Protected Rackmnt Pwr Distr
(1) Tiverton RCAR6G-TEL1P8 Aux Jack: Component & composite video; analog & coaxial audio; LAN
(300) Wire RGBHV 5 Plenum 5 Conductor Mini RG59 Cable - Plenum
(1) Richard Gray RGPC 600 RM Pro Rack Mount 6 Outlet Line Conditioner
(1) Rotel RT-1084 AM/HD FM Radio Tuner
(1) Magnum Dynalab ST-2 Omni-Directional FM Antenna
(1) Middle Atlantic TBIT Security Bit for use with HTX Star Post Security Screws
(3) Crestron TPS-4LW Isys 3.6” Active Matrix Color Wall Mount Touchpanel with 10 backlit pushbuttons, and white faceplate
(1) Crestron TPS-6L “Isys 6”” Wall Mount Tch pnl
(1) Crestron TPS-6L-FP-BKLT-W-T Engraved Backlit Engravable Faceplate with Buttons. Includes engraving. White
(1) Middle Atlantic UD4 4 Spaces
(1) Middle Atlantic UQFP-4 Ultra Quiet Fan Panel w/ Proportional Speed Fan Control, 4 Fans
(1) Polycom V500 SBRI w/People Content Video Conferencing Codec
(2) Middle Atlantic VT1 1 Space (3 3/4” Vent Panel, Large Perforation Pattern
(2) Middle Atlantic VT2 2 Space (3 1/2” Vent Panel, Large Perforation Pattern
(1) Stewart Filmscreen VTC143SFHWMapX Vista Scope ScreenWall
The challenge, he says, was to craft an efficient layout within the allotted square footage and still fully meet the divergent recreational, entertainment, and conferencing needs of the building’s residents.
The lower level includes an atrium lounge, a screening room complete with theater seating and a high-resolution front projection system, a dining/teleconferencing room and a catering kitchen. Upstairs, there is a children’s play area/game room, access to arcade-style video games, a craft area for young children, and a multimedia computer room.
Blending all of this into a harmonious whole that works well for everyone sounds like a daunting, nearly impossible task. “Having prior experience at several amenity spaces was a big plus in helping develop the scope and scale of the project,” explains Montgomery. “It was a lot more labor-intensive than a standard residential job,” he observes, pointing out that a deep degree of coordination with other disciplines involved in the construction and design was an imperative. “With multiple trades impacting the space, it was important to have very regular communications and follow-up on the site,” he says – and his team’s attention to detail was key in what was ultimately achieved.
The top priority for EDG, says Montgomery, was to make the usability of all the built-in systems a no-brainer for residents of any age – and any technology skill set. “All the touchpanels are intuitive enough so that where multiple functions need to happen, they happen with one button. It’s not at all intimidating. If someone wants audio, they touch a button and – boom! – it’s on,” he explains.
Another important consideration when EDG selected the gear it ultimately installed was the pedigree of the electronics, and their reputation for being bullet-proof. While ease of use was a paramount consideration, so was low maintenance. The latter was a key trait of this system. Since downtime would adversely affect all residents, the equipment had to be top quality and resilient for day-to-day use, because the area is accessed by many people.
EDG’s ability to discern the caliber of the electronics component and control systems it selects is based in the firm’s experience of having worked on hundreds of projects – a fact not lost on the building’s owners and management. “We have an excellent rapport with the facilities we work on,” says Montgomery.
The overall goal was to “create a synergistic balance between complex electronics and a system that is easy to use,” says Montgomery. While the project took one year to complete, end to end, it takes a resident all of five minutes to be “wowed,” in this extraordinary space.