Projects

MMC Inc., Your A/V Consultant

Presentation media is playing an increasingly important role in the architectural environments. From kiosks and interactive displays to mixed-media theatres and exhibit galleries to classrooms and even board rooms, sophisticated audio-visual systems are becoming more prevalent. These technologies are changing rapidly in that one calendar year often represents one or two generations of products.
Also, there is often need to integrate the various media technologies into a seamless unit with interactivity is becoming a common requirement. It is not reasonable for an architect to keep up with the trends and changes of the technology. You need to offload the design and specification of these systems to a specialist – just as is routinely done with mechanical and electrical systems.

The Design Phase

Technical design is a creative and dynamic process that should parallel the other design aspects of your project. MMC Inc. becomes intimately involved early in the project – preferably at the conceptual stage. As part of your design team, we provide guidance on the practicality of various technical solutions and media technologies, present you with options, working budgets, and suggest alternative approaches. In order to better leverage your clients assets, MMC Inc. believes in using the latest proven cutting edge technologies and a fresh unihibitated design approach. In the end, your client has a new facility that they are proud of not only on the final walk-through but years to come.
MMC, Inc. continues to work with your team to refine the agreed-upon design towards a clear definition of the scope and quality of the finished audio-visual systems – ensuring that they integrate with the other aspects of your project. We research the best technologies and products to apply them to your specific situation.
MMC, Inc. also provides electrical power and conduit requirements to your electrical engineer, and specify heating loads and special ventilation requirements to your mechanical engineer. We prepare the working drawings and technical specifications needed to obtain competitive bids and to instruct the contractor. MMC, Inc. provides any input and co-ordination required to your Division 1 documents and writes the technical specifications for the audio-visual systems such that they can be inserted into Division 11 or Division 16 of your construction package. In addition, we can help you pre-qualify bidders and evaluate bids.
Relying on a contractor or manufacturer to design your systems is not a good idea. Vendors and contractors make their profit by selling and installing equipment. Unfortunately, the equipment they are authorized to sell may not be the best choice or most technilogically advanced for your particular application. Even amongst the brands that a vendor sells, there will be those that are more profitable than others. It is only natural for a salesperson to try to talk you into his most profitable option, rather than your best option. The bottom line is that contractors, vendors, and manufacturers have a clear conflict of interest. In fact, no one should design or specify systems that they will supply or install. Who will monitor and accept their work? Who will hold up payment until deficiencies are corrected?

The Installation Phase

MMC, Inc. protects your design investment. Contractors will sometimes cut corners, and without a technical project representative looking out for your interests, the installed system may not be what was originally specified. We make sure that the installation meets the specifications and performs as it should.
During the construction phase, MMC, Inc. can help develop an installation schedule to which the A/V contractor will commit. We will periodically review the site work to ensure that the all equipment and components are being installed to best professional practice and required standards, that the cabling and equipment meet the required safety standards and approvals, and to identify any potential schedule conflicts or slippages.
Once the A/V contractor claims Substantial Completion, we will review the installation, perform acceptance testing, and prepare a deficiency report (punch list). We continue to monitor the “wind down” of the installation; supervise commissioning; review the project record drawings and required documentation; and review the warranty certificates. This approach is all too often the only way that system documentation and staff training are ever completed.
A presentation space is much more than a room. The core message or entertainment feature depends entirely on the quality of the audio-visual, multimedia, and control systems design and installation – these will establish the effectiveness of the space for its intended use. A good system design will have built-in flexibility to accommodate foreseeable changes and variations between the intended use and the actual use.
A poorly implemented media system will hamper communication and presentation, rather than enhance them. MMC, Inc. services increase the value of your project by developing a design that is tailored to your project’s present and future needs, and by monitoring the quality and workmanship of everything from equipment selection to final installation.

Which brings us back to why MMC, Inc.