Soho Works, a global network of workspaces and a creation of the Soho House group, has upgraded its four sites in London using Neat and Samsung technologies. AV and IT specialists Tateside provided the collaborative workspaces for individuals and businesses.
Tateside’s technical director, Jack Cornish, says the chosen Neat Bar Pro bundle provides clear audio via three full-range loudspeakers, whilst the microphone array ensures clear vocal pick-up, with Neat Audio Processing built-in. Using a wide-angle lens and image depth sensor, Neat Bar Pro can detect, enlarge and follow all in-room participants.
Cornish said: “The new meeting room standard is a Neat Bar Pro bundle housed within a Leon Tonecase to hide the technology and improve the overall room aesthetics, plus a Samsung screen. This standard has been rolled out across all Soho Works meeting rooms, based on a Zoom Room system, with adjustments made for specific sites.”
He added: “Before the pandemic, the technology didn’t need to be focused on videoconferencing, but the working environment has since shifted and the client requested an update that would enable better bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and plug-and-play capabilities as well as a system that could support their preferred Zoom room functionality.”
Ashton Bentley USB-C hubs, which can be neatly mounted under desks, are integrated to support network connectivity and provide fast charging of devices. Each site required a slightly different configuration and solutions for other room styles, including a podcast studio at the Dean Street site and subdivisible meeting rooms at 180 The Strand.
“Overall, Soho Works are aiming for systems that are easy to use with minimal technical knowledge,” continued Cornish. “During these recent updates, we’ve completely done away with Crestron controls for input switching and have implemented a complication-free standard with auto-switching and bullet-proof BYOD connectivity.”
