Extended Education Information

CSUB INFORMATION

Teaching Through Technology
By Brian M. Richards, Sales Manager, Serban Sound and Communications
(This article appeared in BUILDING CONNECTIONS magazine in 2003.)

The new Classroom and Office Building Number III (C.O.B. III) project for the California State University at Bakersfield is a prime example of the critical role system integrators are increasingly playing in the design and development of advanced systems. Consisting of two two-story buildings and three one-story buildings, C.O.B. III recommended Serban Sound & Communications, a system integrator based in the Bakersfield area, as a means of translating technology needs into advanced, low-voltage communication solutions. To meet this challenge, SSC actively took on the role of primary technology resource for the project Architects.

As the project began to take shape, the architect increasingly used SSC as a vital pipeline for interpreting information delivered by the university. SSC was able to define and document the needs of the university as well as recommend the proper combination of technology equipment manufacturers. This process of exploration not only enable the architect to define the low-voltage communication needs of the university, but also allowed efficient budgeting of that portion of the project.

The entire structure was integrated with the campus-wide emergency telephone system. A Dukane synchronized clock system, intricate video distribution system, and Notifier addressable fire alarm system were located stratigically throughout the facility. The buildings were equipped with a comprehensive voice and data cabling system that used Amp Netconnect Category 6 Premise Cabling Plant and ACO modular station outlets.

Lecture rooms were designed to offer some unique and technologically advanced opportunities for students. Because a high percentage of students today have laptop computers, Cal State wanted a lecture room with network access for students. Network access in this setting would enable students to download curriculum, access the university network, and check in for attendance while participating in a familiar instruction environment.

The final result is a building constructed to provide students with the opportunity to develop a board, deep, and creative understanding of community, culture, economics, and international politics, as well as the communications skills that are required to succeed in the 21st Century.

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