NanoLumens Helps Elon U. Engage Students At Its New ‘Global Neighbourhood’
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
When Elon University in Elon, North Carolina, began designing the Great Hall meeting area in its new Global Neighborhood two years ago, it knew a way was needed to incorporate a cutting edge, state of the art display to engage and galvanize the attention of students and visitors on a daily basis.
Since the architecture and aesthetics of the room did not allow for any type of video projection, Elon turned to NanoLumens, Norcross, Georgia, for displays to ignite this Great Hall.
The Global Neighborhood is the latest piece of the University’s $100 million, multiyear residential campus initiative that bridges what all Elon students learn in the classroom with what they discuss and debate in their campus homes. The neighborhood features five residence halls and the 50,000-square foot Global Commons Building, which houses the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center, multimedia rooms, a digital theater, an organic tea café, academic offices, and the Great Hall – a three-story space overlooking Lake Mary Nell large enough to fit the entire incoming class.
“At Elon, not all learning happens in the classroom,” says Joe Davis, Elon University’s assistant director of campus technology/solutions architect. “The University has been working to create more intellectual spaces around campus where students can have group discussions, creating an educational atmosphere virtually anywhere. When given the right tools, the quad outside of the student center or even a bench outside a dorm can be evolved into a learning space.”
Some of the tools Davis brought in to enhance the campus’ various learning spaces include on- and off-campus wi-fi access, shared screen capabilities in computer labs, projectors — and large-scale visual display solutions from NanoLumens.
“As we began planning the Global Neighborhood, we wanted the Great Hall to be the ideal intellectual space for everyone on campus,” says Davis. “However, since the room is so vast, we also hoped to host large scale events seamlessly, without bringing in a lot of extra materials. To do this, we needed a versatile screen that could display video as well as host presentations in a compelling and engaging way and without a lot of time consuming configuration in between.”
“When the University came to me with this project, I immediately thought of the NanoLumens’ NanoSlims displays as the ideal solution,” says Brian Cox, sales engineer from the integration firm Audio & Light. Greensboro, North Carolina. “The displays have the thinnest profile from front to back of any LED wall on the market, are front serviceable and deliver a seamless bezel-free viewing experience. The displays are also extremely energy efficient, fitting seamlessly into the University’s LEED building certification standards. On top of that, all NanoLumens displays come with the unprecedented six-year, zero defect warranty program, making the product selection a no-brainer.”
Elon ultimately chose NanoLumens to supply two 5mm NanoSlim displays, measuring 9’ tall by 16’ wide. The displays are ultra-lightweight, slim, and provide vibrant, high-resolution images from all viewing angles, making them ideal for the University’s Great Hall.
The NanoLumens displays in the Great Hall are engaging students at all hours. During the day, the displays showcase students’ study abroad photos submitted to the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center’s photography contest; CNN or BBC America is broadcast in the evening; and at night, the displays are used for student events such as foreign film nights or game nights.
“These screens aren’t just impressive to us in the technology support department,” Davis says. “Everyone from students to administrators have commented on how clear and vibrant the displays look. This installation has been so successful we’re already looking to put more of NanoSlims around campus.”
Follow DailyDOOH