The James Pantyfedwen Foundation in Aberystwyth, Wales, was set up in 1998 as a successor to two other foundations. Its purpose is to give out grants to benefit the people of Wales, specifically postgraduate students and cultural places such as churches.
Gwenan Creunant, executive secretary at The James Pantyfedwen Foundation, said of the building itself, “The building itself came into being in the 1960’s when the benefactor, Sir David James, decided to move the headquarters of the two foundations at that time from London to his home country of Ceredigion.”
The aesthetic of the huge boardroom located on the foundation’s first floor echoes the feeling of the era in which it was created, and keeping this feeling was an integral highlight of the brief.
Architectural designer Stuart Ball, who has been working with the foundation for three years, explained, “It’s always been a boardroom, ever since the building was built in 1968, but unfortunately it was not fit for purpose any longer. In terms of the technology, we advised Dave Morgan at Spartan Audio Visual that we were looking for a system that would be flexible and scalable for the future. One of the things that was never entirely clear was what the final use might be of this room, so we needed a system that would be adaptable.”
Modernizing a 1960’S Boardroom
One of the things that was never entirely clear was what the final use might be of this room, so we needed a system that would be adaptable.” — Stuart Ball, architectural designer
To meet all the levels of functionality required and to suit the grand boardroom, two Optoma Creative Touch 5 series 86-inch displays were selected. The 5 series is the premium option in the range of Creative Touch interactive flat panel (IFP) displays. Available in 65-, 75-, and 86-inch sizes, all displays feature anti-glare glass, a blue light filter and a wide viewing angle for delivering crisp and vivid visuals to every seat in the room.
Dave Morgan, sales and installation director at Spartan Audio Visual said “I think the IFP are almost a no-brain option in a meeting room like this. The cost-effective nature of the product means you get a lot of the interactive features without spending any more money than you would on an LED display, and that helps with a project like this where there isn’t a defined, singular purpose for the space. It leaves things open for the users to get what they need out of a space and out of a product.”
Creunant emphasized that they are extremely satisfied with the final result, and see a great deal of potential in the room going forward: “It still keeps the feeling of the 60s from when it was built, but now it is a comfortable and warm room with all of the audio-visual facilities needed for these days. The hope now is that it will be available to the public to hire out for meetings or conferences or any other such events. Half of the room perhaps could be used a small theatre style for film evenings.”
