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By Alan Joch

Early collaboration also addresses the importance technology holds for clients. This was the case when Atlanta firm Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback and Associates designed the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Technology Square campus. “The telecom and A/V components were such major pieces of the client’s vision, we wanted a consultant that could [make sure] we weren’t short on something that would make [the project] look weak,” says Maria Bonau, AIA, associate principal.

Sophisticated voice, data, and video communications were necessary because the multibuilding Technology Square project extended the main campus of Georgia Tech across an interstate highway. The architect specified fiber-optic cabling to join the new buildings to the old, to link the classrooms together, and to provide continuing- and distance-education capabilities for the new campus. “The president wanted to make a statement: As we move into this new century, technology is an important element and Georgia Tech is leading the charge,” Bonau says. It’s also been a moneymaker for the university, which rents out its electronic classrooms to corporations and other groups for training, conferences, and the like.

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Consultants can also help architects see into the future.

New York architects Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) recently designed a new facility, Jon M. Huntsman Hall, at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “From an A/V point of view, we tried to look at what technologies they would be using on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3,” recalls David Ottavio, KPF associate principal. “Then we created a framework for the [technology] infrastructure, including a tremendous telecom backbone to run data cabling” so future upgrades wouldn’t be as costly. He calls this technique “future proofing.” With the help of consulting firm Shen Milsom & Wilke of New York City, the architects designed hardware closets positioned in accessible locations for easy repairs and upgrades, and opted for removable ceiling panels that gave technicians easy access to internal cabling. “Otherwise, [Wharton] would be tearing walls apart,” Ottavio says.

Communications breakdown

Blending beauty and function is, as always, the trickiest balance. “We put performance above aesthetics, while architects [do] the opposite,” consultant McCann admits, saying material selection is often a bone of contention. “Architects love glass conference rooms because they look techy. But they’re the worst thing [for] videoconferencing. There are no acoustic [insulation] properties in glass, the sound is hard, and it reflects around the room. You end up creating little echo chambers”—not the intended result.

McCann suggests holding brainstorming sessions to identify solutions before the client sees design proposals, so the team forms a united front. Once a project is done, informal meetings can also help design teams build on experience to avoid past mistakes. Says DataVox’s Ritchken, “On big projects, there are no heroes. You either look great as a team or bad as a team.”