Wiltshire College & University Centre – Modern Workplace Solutions with Technology & Interiors.

The Challenge.

Wiltshire College & University Centre (WCUC) pride themselves on prioritising the learning experience of their students. They recognised a need for the modernisation of their Business School, located on their Lackham campus. The team at WCUC wanted to bring their learning spaces into alignment with modern student needs, whilst maintaining the historical integrity of their unique 18th century building. WCUC engaged Bechtle to deliver a solution that was future-proof, student-friendly, and an effective use of funding. Including adaptive boards and two state of the art rooms, where stylish and  unctional interiors complement feature rich video collaboration technologies.

Key Objectives.

• Provide high levels of service and support with an unmanned reception.
• Deliver an equitable meeting experience for both virtual and in room participants.
• Be mindful of the historic nature of the space and do not use any invasive mounting techniques.
• Provide visibility of when and how the spaces are being used, without disrupting key lessons or meetings through the use of room booking panels.
• Create modern classrooms and supportive learning environments outside the classroom.

The Solution.

Powered by partnership and communication.

At Bechtle, we took a collaborative approach ensuring the customer’s IT team and key stakeholders were engaged in the design phase of the solution. Working closely with the customer’s IT team on this complex project required a partner that was responsive and able to closely track progress.

The video collaboration landscape is vast. The Bechtle Modern Workplace team sat with WCUC taking on a consultative approach to finding the right solution, which accommodated the restrictions of the heritage building for their needs today and into the future.

We leveraged our relationship with Neat, who specialise in state-of-the-art video collaboration, with a broad portfolio that focuses on simplicity and an award-winning, elegant design. There were many benefits to selecting Neat as the main provider for this project, including performance, sustainability, ease of install and manageability.

Neat’s design process is geared towards responsible products and practices. This is evident in their approach to packaging the products themselves, and the supply chain. Every device put forward for this project has been designed for sustainability, and is simple to repair, refurbish, and recycle.

Bechtle was able to solve each of the challenges with one portfolio including:

• Neat Frame, virtual receptionist for the unattended reception space.
• Neat Boards, interactive whiteboards for the collaboration spaces.
• Neat Bar Pros, all-in-one collaboration devices for the hybrid spaces.
• Neat Centres 360 degree cameras were deployed to allow space for growth, future proof and maximise the collaboration experience.

Crucially, WCUC now have the ability to troubleshoot their new devices remotely, update en masse, and have a clear visual overview of grouped and paired devices through Neat’s management tool; Neat Pulse.

Interiors.

The Bechtle Interiors team created an environment centred around the student experience that introduced more light and seating, with careful attention to acoustics to create a natural feel. The result is a modern business environment that supports flexible learning practices. Creating a workspace that can adapt to the changing needs of both students and a business school, while delivering a comfortable and productive atmosphere for all.

The finishes and materials used throughout the project were carefully chosen to be sympathetic to the existing building and in line with the architectural scheme. The workspace is now future proof with innovation and collaboration at its heart.

Accessibility.

The Neat suite of products are full of features that compliment different levels of accessibility. For example, the adaptive boards that we deployed are easily adjusted to different heights with very little physical force.

For those students and business users who are unable to access the physical space, the new solution offers a meaningful remote meeting experience without the need to travel into the campus. Further, the use of camera AI technology means that remote users can maintain eye contact with users in the room.

Deployment.

At Bechtle, we facilitated personalised face to face demos of the solution, enabling WCUC’s IT team to put the kit through its paces before commitment and move forward with confidence. This approach reduced risks and ensured no surprises in the deployment phase.

All hardware was delivered on time and with all the necessary pre-configuration completed, enabling the commissioning phase to be completed sooner onsite.

The Bechtle team worked closely with WCUC’s architectural firm and building contractor which was essential in integrating the tech solutions with the challenging environmental variables. As an example, this included finding alternatives to wall-mounting without compromising on quality or aesthetics.

Bechtle’s unique ability to seamlessly blend interiors and technology drove the successful outcome of this project, and we look forward to working closely with the WCUC teams in the future.

Contact our Modern Workplace team for more information.

Key Benefits for Wiltshire College & University Centre.

The partnership with Bechtle resulted in significant improvements for both the staff and students at the college. Key benefits included:

	Bechtle’s locality to the college facilitated the consultation process, and enabled us to best select the right technology for the College’s needs. The Wiltshire College team were also able to experience the technology first hand with the help of demo units, before committing to a purchase.
	Modern, open workspaces that inspire both staff and students and encourage collaboration and creativity.
	Technology that seamlessly integrates with the workspace, simplifying the process for students to access the technology they need throughout the day with a simple to use key card reservation system.
	A range of interior solutions that promote inclusivity to meet the individual needs of each user, whether it’s sitting or standing desks, charging stations, as well as safety implementation with key card access doors.

Want to know more?

Watch our video case study with Wiltshire College & University Centre below: