ECAV’s AV Design & Integration is the second component of our holistic approach – From Concept to Reality.
Too often the approach for defining AV needs and delivering solutions is through the construction process – managed by Architects and Interior Designers with their focus on the physical space. This leads to constrained AV designs, under-whelming solutions and zero consideration of on-going management – just dump a whole new set of technologies with the ICT Group. AV decisions should focus on business needs and integration with ICT, just as much as the physical space.
ECAV manages these issues by considering AV requirements up front, ensuring they actively shape site design rather than being constrained by it. ECAV’s AV Design & Integration is the second component of our holistic approach – From Concept to Reality.
Business AV needs are thoroughly considered up-front through our AV Consulting phase. This provides client and expert input to the site design rather than being determined as a consequence of the site design.
The most cost-effective and experienced trades undertake the installation work – they know exactly what their role is in achieving the right AV outcome.
The client’s ICT team, as the on-going owner of AV, is fully embedded in the process to determine the appropriate fit for the AV systems with their ICT infrastructure. AV is integrated in conjunction with ICT prior not during construction.
Our AV designs consider and build-in the capabilities for operational and manageable AV, setting our clients up for long-term success.
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At ECAV, when reviewing corporate construction projects, we are constantly amazed by how poor the AV construction specs are and how little AV’s implications have been considered. AV actually impacts or is impacted by almost every other part of the site design and construction trades, including:
| AV Fit with Site Design | If the client site requires modifications, the AV solution from our AV Consulting service becomes a key input to the Architect and/or Interior Designer for their site planning. If the emerging site plans require changed impacts on AV, then these can be identified up front and costings appropriately assigned. |
| Working with Others | AV’s overlapping requirements with the other consulting roles are similarly identified up front and captured on the consolidated architectural drawings, eg. electrical engineering for power, data and lighting, joinery works for mounting AV hardware, acoustic treatment, etc. Similarly, the most appropriate trade or service to undertake those related AV works can be identified with clear accountabilities and costed up front, e.g. the electrician to run all network cables during construction, the client’s ICT team to prepare for integration, etc. |
| Splitting the AV Works | With our approach, the AV works are split into 2 logical components: AV Installation (Phase 3) Any AV activities that must be undertaken during the construction phase should be managed under an appropriate construction contract. These may include the install of speakers and mounts, & some cabling work (where undertaken by the electrician). AV/ICT Commissioning & Integration (Phase 4) These works should be undertaken after the construction works are complete, i.e. after the Occupation Certificate is provided. The clean AV commissioning works are undertaken whilst client ICT are similarly implementing their systems. |
Thoroughly and fully costed AV specifications, with the agreed deliverables of all parties, along with fully specified and integrated construction documents.
ECAV’s Consultants will provide the same services as do other consultants in the Construction process:
| AV Tender | ECAV will prepare tender documents for the AV Installation works for issue by the Construction Manager (Prime Contractor) and then undertake the evaluation of responses. |
| ‘Work By Others’ Tender Evaluations | ECAV will assess tender responses of any other trades where their work impacts the AV solution, e.g., proposed cable runs and standards. |
| Audits | During construction, ECAV will audit the work by the trades to ensure they meet the agreed specifications. After all, ECAV will be implementing and supporting business-critical AV systems based on these trades. |
As discussed, those basic AV installation works required during the construction phase can be either undertaken by ECAV’s team, or a separate contractor audited by ECAV.
ECAV holds final accountability for these AV works.
This phase is where the significant AV work is undertaken – all outside the construction process. It includes:
Your AV System is delivered as per the detailed AV Design, no variations from this phase – unless the client or architect change their minds! ECAV is committed to the long term support of the system.