Good Haus
Historic Building Ready for 21st-Century Use
The Jefferson Avenue Center in Columbus, Ohio, is dedicated to preservation with a purpose. “Using real estate as a catalyst for social change,” the Jefferson Center revitalizes and redevelops neglected historic buildings and underutilized land to provide vibrant, affordable spaces for nonprofit tenants.
Integrated Building Systems helped with the Jefferson Center’s transformative work at The Good Haus—a building constructed in 1888 and formerly named for its nearly century-long tenant, the Maennerchor, the nation’s oldest Germanic singing society. Left vacant and exposed in areas to the elements for nearly a decade, the structure required extensive repair and renovation.
Today this 10,700-square-foot building in Columbus’s Brewery District boasts a unique, historic design with efficient, contemporary features for five nonprofit tenants.
During renovation, Mode Architects recommended Integrated Building Systems to The Jefferson Avenue Center for help with workspace audio-visual (A/V) needs. With the help of a visit to the Tech Studios to see state-of-the-art solutions, Executive Director Katharine Moore partnered with Integrated Building Systems to determine the A/V solutions that best fit the project’s needs and budget.
“We wanted to be guided by a business with a variety of solutions to offer, not just one line to push. That was Integrated Building Systems! ”
“There are a number of people in town selling audio visual equipment – but many of them seem to be techies trying to launch a small business,” Katharine said. “We wanted to be guided by grownups who have a sizable business with a variety of solutions to offer, not just one line to push. That was Integrated Building Systems! The staff’s expertise and availability made all of the difference, and their good humor kept the design process from being daunting.”
The Good Haus conference room is outfitted with solutions for presentations and video conferencing. The focus of the room is an 86” TV display, which plays audio through speakers mounted throughout the room. This system is also equipped with an HDMI wall outlet, which allows tenants to easily connect their laptops to the display. A small touchscreen control panel manages these systems and the input.
To pick up what is happening in the room for video conferencing, there are two pendant-style triplex microphones and a mounted, fixed-focus HD camera.
Outside the conference room, a small digital display shows if the room is in use, and is programmable with the name of the meeting.
Integrated Building Systems also installed digital signage in the lobby and a video display in the lower-level conference room.
How is the new technology impacting The Jefferson Avenue Center and Good Haus?
“Having state of the art technology enhances our whole brand! If nonprofits want to attract top talent and to be held in high regard by corporate sponsors, we have to invest in our facilities and operations,” Katharine said.