AV Design and Integration

Committee on Transportation

U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

Challenge:

As the U.S. Congress' largest committee, the House Committee on Transportation and infrastructure deals with a wide range of issues, broad responsibilities, and pressure to get through a lot of material in a short amount of time. To aid them in handling their enormous workload, committee members were interested in the integration of videoconferencing, a technology that would open the possibility for remote testimonies, allow greater communication with their districts, and reduce the members' dependency on travel. Because the committee meets in the historic Rayburn House Office Building, there were major architectural challenges associated with this installation.

Solution:

A number of unique solutions now inconspicuously incorporate videoconferencing technology within the historic Rayburn House Office Building. To hold the installed projector, a custom wood housing was constructed to match the existing woodwork. Plasma displays were positioned on the wall, near similarly sized framed artwork to also give a seamless appearance. At the front of the hall, a large projection screen was installed to retract into an unobtrusive case.

The resulting six-camera system is controlled from a nearby operator room. With simple joystick controls, the technician can point and zoom the cameras to any representative or guest. Videoconferences are viewed on the two wall-mounted 50" plasma displays and on the 8' projector screen. Ceiling-mounted speakers help defeat acoustics problems, and every other committee member's seat is equipped with a microphone.

Remote testimonies and videoconference meetings are now common activities in the committee room. The convenience and time-savings of videoconferencing has increased the committee's efficiency in dealing with its large scope of topics.

Equipment Highlights:

50" plasma displays; 8' projection screen; retractable projection screen; ceiling-mounted speakers; six-camera system for videoconferencing

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