Peter Hunt from Hewshott International details how a global relationship and early engagement helped deliver a modern corporate ofï¬ce for VMware in Melbourne, Australia.
Corporate spaces are evolving
under the impacts of a younger
workforce and progressing
technology. This has meant that
employers are having to pay
more attention to how ofï¬ ce space and the
technology deployed can help them empower
their employees.
VMware is a global provider of cloud
infrastructure and business mobility systems. As
it grows and expands, with new ofï¬ ces being
established across Asia Paciï¬c, VMware has had
to reï¬ ne its approach to AV technology and its
application. This resulted in VMware appointing
a global head for AV to handle responsibilities.
VMware’s new ofï¬ce in Melbourne, Australia
serves as an example of the company’s
new approach to AV technology. Hewshott
International was appointed as the consultant
for the project while integration services were
provided by Rutledge AV.
Hewshott International had worked with
VMware previously and Peter Hunt, group CEO
at Hewshott International, details: “We have
two ofï¬ces in India and we previously worked
on multiple ofï¬ces for VMware. The relationship
between our Indian ofï¬ ce and VMware’s
Indian ofï¬ ce is good and this project was a
natural progression and born out of our prior
relationship.”
Hunt says about the project: “A lot of the
design work for the Australian ofï¬ ce was done
in India due to the established relationship
between our two ofï¬ ces there. VMware’s global
AV head is also based there and so is our lead
designer so it made sense to have that function
there. Of course, I supported the project locally,
with local decisions on site here in Australia but
all major structural and design works were done
out of Hewshott India.”
He continues: “This process started around a
year ago, and was a new initiative from VMware.
AV has gone up a level as it has become such an
important component of the corporate world.
We started from a set of standard template
designs which are replicated around the world,
and Melbourne is one example of this. The
reasoning behind this approach is that when
people move from one ofï¬ce to another ofï¬ce
the view out of the window might be different
but the functionality of the space is the same.”
The new VMware ofï¬ce in Melbourne,
Australia has meeting rooms which differ in size
and functionality. The general baseline for the
meeting rooms involves the provision of audio,
video and control.
Pendant ceiling microphones are used
in the meeting rooms to pick up audio.
Videoconferencing codecs, DSPs and cameras are
also provided for the purpose of communication.
Large format display panels are used for visuals.
Audio in most of the meeting rooms is provided
by a combination loudspeakers from a number
of manufacturers.
A single control processor is used to provide
control for the meeting rooms. Touch panels are
provided inside most of the meeting rooms to
allow users to control the AV.
Hunt says: “One of the global AV head’s main
aims was to regulate and improve consistency of
outcome for VMware for all AV rollouts. This is
why the GUIs and touch panels are programmed
centrally and have been worked on so that they
are consistent.”
Smaller meeting rooms are provided with
wired connectivity options. Hunt says: “The aim
for these smaller meeting rooms was to keep it
simple. There is no control system here because
control is not needed. It’s the same with wireless
connectivity. But users can plug in their laptops
via HDMI and use the AV in the rooms. It just
works and it makes lives easier for the users
who don’t have to deal with figuring out which
button to press.”
The smaller meetings rooms are also equipped
with tablets that provides booking functionality.
A larger training room at the VMware office
has its own AV systems. The biggest deviation
when compared with the meeting rooms in terms
of AV is the use of microphones that have been
screwed onto the tables to provide audio pickup.
Hunt details a special consideration: “VMware
was keen to avoid racks and racks of equipment
remotely located. So, everything to do with AV
is compacted into the space that we had in the
room. All the equipment is housed here.” The
equipment is mounted sideways on rack strips
and features DSP, videoconferencing codecs
and the matrix switch, all in a cabinet under
the screen.
Even though VMware wished to avoid
remotely located equipment, the nature of the
AV deployment meant that sticking to this vision
entirely was not completely plausible. There is
an AV rack for larger and shared AV equipment
which houses the larger control processor for
the meeting rooms and two DSPs to manage
the extra microphones deployed in the training
room.
Also located in the rack is the equipment
for a breakout room, which is VMware’s casual
meeting space, dining area and café. Amplifiers
for the speakers in the breakout room and radio
microphone receivers are housed in the rack. The
breakout room itself features a display and a
PlayStation for staff to use, with ceiling speakers
for both voice and programme sound.
On the surface, the AV deployment in the
breakout room seems simple and straightforward.
But Hunt points to it as the most challenging
part of the project. He explains: “By law,
offices in Australia must provide hearing
augmentation in areas where there is amplified
speech, including videoconference rooms. We
were going to go with an induction loop like
the other rooms, which have magnetic loops
under the carpets. But in the breakout room,
it’s polished concrete, so we couldn’t dig up the
floor and hence we have gone with IR units for
hearing augmentation. We had the compliance
consultant interpret the law in a certain way, but
I wasn’t happy with their assessment and had to
discuss the matter with them and make them
understand how the AV was going to work.
They agreed that it was a requirement and IR
was the only way to go. I would much rather
have a difficult conversation early than have a
harder one down the road when the problem has
become much worse.”
Overall though Hunt states that there were
many positives to be drawn from the project.
He says: “We have been getting involved in
corporate projects such as this earlier now so
that we can inform the client and their architect
and the other parties about the considerations
that must be taken for AV which is good
because we are an integrated part of the team
rather than just being tacked on.”
He continues: “Early engagement means
that we have the opportunity to unravel some
of the assumptions made about AV where lack
of detailed and up-to-date knowledge results
in poor decisions. When you can insert the
detailed, current knowledge into the equation
the realisation about the needs of AV becomes
apparent and the result is a better project.”
Regarding Hewshott International’s role, Hunt
says: “I think that we were able
to bring a good understanding
of the idiosyncrasies of
operating in Australia to the
VMware project. The laws
are different around Asia
Pacific. The induction loop
is a great example of this. So
when there are frustrations
and issues because of these
misunderstandings, arising
from the different business
practices in different
countries, we provide quality
advice and local knowledge
about the various laws and
regulations.”