Provider of co-working spaces and office rentals, Halkin recently opened new premises in the heart of the City of London’s financial district. Set across four floors, the landmark workspace required an extensive A/V system that would fit the brand’s technology standard, enable collaboration and provide ease-of-use for clients.
London-based A/V and IT specialists Tateside led the integration of a A/V system across a total of eight meeting rooms. ‘We have worked with Halkin on several workspaces over the past couple of years,’ says Tateside Technical Director, Jack Cornish. ‘We started out collaborating on smaller jobs such as upgrades of existing meeting rooms. The complete integration of the new office spaces at King William Street is our largest project with Halkin.’
Halkin has established a technological standard across all of its sites, based on Neat brand meeting room solutions. ‘Halkin is a Zoom-room user, using Neat technology including Neat Bars, Neat Boards and Neat Centers, across all sites,’ Cornish continues. ‘In collaboration with the team at Halkin, the project focused on using high-quality products and “doing meeting room technology properly”, without cutting corners and to the same standard across all their spaces.’
Tateside was involved in the project from its early stagers, working with the initial room designs and client requirements. With Halkin’s aspiration to provide a premium meeting and collaboration experience, Tateside designed a solution that would ensure a user-friendly experience. Smooth connectivity and automation would streamline collaboration in communal meeting spaces for all users, even those with zero experience in setting up hybrid meeting spaces. Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) capabilities were another key requirement.
Providing a complete meeting and collaboration package within one device, Neat Boards were integrated into almost all of the meeting rooms. Each comprises a 65-inch multi-touch screen, a built-in audio system and a wide-angle camera, taking care of the audio-visual needs of a modern meeting space within a single solution. The addition of a Neat Pad in each room allows for seamless control of the Neat Board display. In several rooms, an additional Neat Bar is also installed, providing further options and versatility for users.
Tateside used four USB-C powered Taurus UCX universal switchers from Lightware. ‘Taurus UCX offers something unique, with good built-in control and automation available, as well as the physical UI of the two USB-C inputs allowing for plug-and-play functionality, the latter being the key point we needed to achieve,’ Cornish says. ‘Through harnessing USB-C connectivity, Halkin’s clients can effortlessly connect their devices and enjoy a streamlined and efficient meeting experience with easy host-switching.’
An exception to the Neat standard can be seen in the 24-delegate boardroom space. In this larger space, immersive visuals are provided through the integration of two 75-inch 4k Samsung displays and an 85-inch Samsung Flip 3 collaboration screen, allowing participants to actively interact with content via the touchscreen. For discreet yet effective audio coverage, eight Bose DM5C loudspeakers are deployed, whilst two Shure ceiling array microphones ensure delegates throughout the room can be heard clearly.
Three Yealink PTZ cameras, including one tracking model, ensure a high-quality hybrid meeting experience and excellent visual pick-up. User control is made simple and efficient through the integration of a Yealink MCore kit mini-PC and touchscreen, whilst device switching and network connectivity in the boardroom are handled by Blustream transmitters and receivers.
In addition to meeting room solutions, Tateside also integrated digital signage and a background audio system across all four floors. Bose DesignMax DM5C in-ceiling loudspeakers were chosen for their audio quality and were custom coloured to work with the décor of the office space. For digital signage in the reception area and throughout, Samsung Frame 4K HDR Smart TVs provide functionality in a design-led format. Some bespoke elements were also incorporated, such as custom brass finishes on Kramer Cable Cubby units.
‘As we’ve come to expect, working with Tateside has been an absolute delight,’ says Benjamin Freedman, Director of IT at Halkin. ‘Despite the tight schedule, they always managed to fit us in and make things work. The quality of their work is second to none and we’ve subsequently sold both their services and the kit we’ve installed in our meeting rooms to several of our own clients.’
‘Halkin workspaces are an excellent example of a brand that is standardising its technology,’ concludes Cornish. ‘The result is a coherent user experience, and meeting rooms that function to a very high standard, every time. Users want to come in, plug in their laptop and start a meeting without jumping through hoops or navigating complex control systems. At King William Street and across other Halkin offices, this is what we have achieved.’
More: www.tateside.com
