Extron AV over IP and Control Enable Extensive Connectivity Capabilities at TU Delft’s New Echo Building

Due to integration in our existing AV ecosystem, a successful pilot, and proven technical support, it was an easy choice to implement Extron NAV Pro AV over IP in our new education building.

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), in Delft, Netherlands, is renowned as the oldest and most extensive Dutch public technical university. By 2022, it had earned a distinguished place among the world's top 10 institutions for engineering and technology, as recognized by the QS World University Rankings.

The Echo building, a recent addition to their campus, was thoughtfully conceived to address the university's dynamic requirements for adaptable teaching spaces both in the present and the future. This architectural marvel is a dynamic hub for innovative learning, collaboration, and social interaction. Remarkably, it boasts energy-positive credentials and harmonizes seamlessly with its surrounding public spaces.

To address the university's need for connecting different halls to accommodate overflow situations, the system designers opted for the Extron NAV Pro AV over IP System to route all signals through the building's network. The NAV System plays a pivotal role as the core infrastructure of the entire AV system.

CHALLENGES

The Echo building boasts a generous 8,844 square meters (95,000 square feet), thoughtfully distributed across four floors. Various educational activities are accommodated within this space, including lectures, tutorials, group collaborations, project-based education, debates, and self-study sessions.

The building's interior layout is designed to feature both medium and large rooms, with capacities ranging from 150 to 700 individuals. Additionally, several smaller rooms have been designated to facilitate specialized activities, such as project-based education, accommodating groups of up to 70 participants.

Designing the AV System

Versatile Teaching Spaces: The Echo building's diverse teaching rooms, including flexible layouts and the ability to divide the largest lecture hall into three separate rooms, required a highly adaptable AV system. Ensuring that AV equipment, such as projectors, screens, and microphones, can seamlessly transition between different room configurations was crucial. The system had to accommodate various teaching methods, from traditional lectures to interactive discussions and project- based activities.

User Experience and Interaction: TU Delft administrators wanted to boost social interaction between students, teachers, and visitors by implementing an AV system to support collaborative learning and group interaction. Additionally, the AV system had to be user-friendly to ensure that students and faculty could easily operate and access the technology.

Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: TU Delft’s commitment to sustainability and energy neutrality required that the AV equipment selected could support the building's energy-efficient initiatives. This meant integrating a wide range of power-saving features and ultra-efficient power supplies.

Scalability and Future-Proofing: With the increasing student population and evolving educational methods, the AV system had to accommodate potential modifications to teaching spaces.

Architectural Integration: The building’s architects envisaged an attractive meeting place for students and visitors. The AV system had to seamlessly integrate with other facility features. Coordination with these elements was essential to create a holistic user experience that would encourage social interaction and convenience within the building.

In summary, designing the AV systems for the Echo building involved addressing the unique demands of versatile teaching spaces, enhancing user interaction, aligning with sustainability goals, ensuring scalability, and integrating with the overall building design.

DESIGN SOLUTION

The building’s AV systems were designed by AV integrator PCI in cooperation with TU Delft's Marco Buitenhuis. The completion of the entire AV system project spanned nearly four years, from initial discussions to the final installation phase.

Extron products have been the longstanding standard for AV spaces at TU Delft, promoting consistency and standardization across the entire campus. This standardized approach streamlines installation, AV control programming, and troubleshooting, enhancing overall efficiency.

Multiple Learning Spaces with Maximum Flexibility

Buitenhuis, AV/IT Expert at TU Delft, explained some of the reasons for choosing Extron: “Due to integration in our existing AV ecosystem, a successful pilot, and proven technical support, it was an easy choice to implement Extron NAV Pro AV over IP in our new education building.”

The Echo building is home to ten unique educational spaces, each crafted to cater to a range of teaching methodologies. Among these spaces, five are specifically designed for high-tech AV presentations. Each of these rooms is equipped with a digital writing board and an Extron MGP 641 Multi-Window Processor which supports 4K/60 video for an engaging learning experience.

Diving deeper into the functionalities of the five advanced AV rooms, three of them serve as 'classic' lecture halls designed primarily for traditional, frontal teaching. The remaining two are intended for collaborative learning, encouraging group discussions and activities.

Beyond these, the Echo building also offers a separate room dedicated solely to student debates. Moreover, there are four spaces crafted as project rooms, supporting a variety of learning activities. A notable feature in some of these rooms is the presence of movable walls, which provide flexibility in room configuration. The NAV System plays a crucial role in ensuring seamless AV operations, regardless of whether rooms are combined or kept separate.

To ensure fluid transitions between sources, these rooms use the Extron SW HD 4K PLUS Series HDMI Switcher, which is managed through a TouchLink® Pro touchpanel at the lectern. A key advantage of this switcher is the incorporation of Extron EDID Minder® technology, which guarantees uninterrupted communication with the connected source devices.

AV over IP System Management

The building's central rack houses the NAVigator System Manager, a secure appliance that centralizes control of the NAV System. It also accommodates multiple NAV encoders, which accept signals from cameras and whiteboards, as well as NAV scaling decoders, which provide signals to projectors and displays. Some of the NAV encoders and decoders feature USB extension for access to the central servers. This centralized approach makes for a streamlined system design and simplifies maintenance.

The user-friendly browser-based NAVigator System Manager empowers technicians to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot the entire system through a single interface. NAV encoders are strategically placed at each AV source, ensuring delivery of high-quality, ultra-low latency video, along with HDMI and AES67 audio. NAV scaling decoders, positioned behind each display, deliver high-quality video tailored to the capabilities of the respective displays.

“The ease of use with the NAVigator console to route the different signals between the devices is nice,” says Buitenhuis. “Whenever a request comes to connect different halls together for overflow purposes, it is easy to accommodate, because every signal is already on the network with NAV to pick up.”

System Control and Monitoring

TouchLink Pro touchpanels are positioned on the podiums and walls. They operate seamlessly with IPCP Pro xi control processors to offer adaptable, user-friendly management for all AV functions in the room. They are also perfectly synchronized with the NAVigator System Manager to distribute content via the network. For overall AV system monitoring, support personnel use Extron GlobalViewer® Enterprise (GVE) to monitor every connected device. With GVE, they are able to monitor and evaluate equipment and room utilization, schedule maintenance tasks in advance, and manage inventory lists with tailored reports.

Whenever a request comes to connect different halls together for overflow purposes, it is easy to accommodate because every signal is already on the network with NAV to pick up.

RESULTS

The Echo building at TU Delft stands as a testament to the university's commitment to innovation, adaptability, and sustainability. As one of the world's premier institutions, TU Delft's forward-thinking approach is not only evident in its academic programs but also in its infrastructure, seamlessly combining cutting-edge technology with energy-efficient designs.

With its advanced AV systems, the Echo building fosters an environment that is conducive to both traditional and collaborative learning methodologies.

The meticulous integration of Extron products, the dedication to sustainability, and the ability to adapt to the evolving needs of the student population demonstrate the university's vision for the future. This commitment ensures that the Echo building will remain a hub of innovative learning for years to come.

TU DELFT ECHO BUILDING VIDEO LINKS

Echo Building Overview by UNStudio, click here.

What Makes the Echo Building at TU Delft So Flexible?, click here.

Teaching by example: UNStudio completes Echo at TU Delft, click here.

Completed 100% Green Energy Building Saving | Echo, TU Delft Netherlands, click here.

Featured Extron Products