Huhtasuo School

The life-cycle project of the Huhtasuo school, special school and day-care centre is the most significant investment in basic services by the City of Jyväskylä in the 21st century. Its mission is to provide functional facilities for the learning of around 1000 children. In the first phase of the project, a kindergarten and a special school were opened in 2013. The new modern, multi-purpose facilities will also serve the area's residents as a versatile event space outside school hours.

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Audico Systems was the supplier and contractor of the AV systems for the building, in collaboration with Lyreco Finland. Lyreco has a municipal procurement contract with the City of Jyväskylä. Kiinteistö Oy Jyväskylän Huhtasuo School Centre wanted a school that was modern, aesthetic, bright and accessible. In terms of AV technology, this meant user-friendly and flexible solutions.

All the classrooms, of which there are around 50, have been equipped with the best possible technology to support learning and teaching. Classrooms are equipped with sound systems, document cameras and interactive NEC data projectors. Easy-to-use Creston control panels have been integrated into the teachers' furniture to manage the room systems.

In special classes and meeting rooms, the systems have been adapted to meet specific needs. In the music classrooms, the focus has been on high-quality sound with RCF loudspeakers and Behringer digital mixers. Comprehensive cabling also allows multi-track recording of ballroom events in the music classroom studio. Sharp 60" and 70" screens have been installed as display surfaces in the teachers' meeting rooms. For the school's comprehensive digital signage system, 14 Philips 55" screens have been installed.

The school canteen also serves as a venue for larger meetings and briefings. The canteen is equipped with a Sony high brightness data projector and an RCF sound system. The technology in the room is controlled by a clear Crestron touch screen.  Directly connected to the dining room, the larger than normal sports hall can be divided into four separate sections, each with its own speaker system, control buttons and connections, allowing for different classes to be held simultaneously. For festive use, the hall's stage is equipped with comprehensive presentation technology. The hall is equipped with RCF line array sound systems, a 32-channel Behringer digital mixer and high-quality microphones. Energy-efficient LED solutions were chosen for the stage lighting. Mobile spotlights were also supplied. A compact Showtec light controller was supplied to control the stage lights.

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Audico was a partner of Lyreco, the service provider, in the AV contract for the Huhtasuo school. At Lyreco, Risto Wolin was responsible for the project.

"Projects the size of Huhtasuo always involve many players, each with their own starting points and objectives. In order to finish the job on time and according to the client's wishes, you need the best people," Wolin continues, and on the Audico side, he extends a big thank you to Yrjö Fonselius, who was responsible for the project.

For the client, using a municipal contract for a large project saves time and effort. The client does not have to go through a cumbersome tendering process and can decide for itself what products it wants. In the Huhtasuo project, the client had clear wishes for the implementation, which helped both the planning and the implementation.

As a partner of Lyreco, Audico brings with it quality products, solid AV expertise, a strong project organisation and good people.

"For projects of this size, I wouldn't consider any other partner than Audico," says Wolin, with years of experience working together.

Photos by Martti Kapanen