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CASE STUDY

Glenaire Retirement Community

Brightspire Invests in AV Systems for an Enhanced Resident Experience

The Client

For over 70 years, Brightspire has been dedicated to enriching the lives of seniors. Three vibrant Life Plan Communities in North Carolina offer a continuum of care, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing. With a mission to enhance residents' quality of life, Brightspire maintains a commitment to excellence by investing in amenities that support community, recreation, and wellness.  

Glenaire, a beautifully designed Brightspire campus in Cary, NC, creates a wide variety of opportunities for exercising, socializing, dining, and creative pursuits. Glenaire’s newest amenities include a 25,000-square-foot wellness center, an aquatic center, a theater, an array of arts and crafts studios, a billiards room, a library, a chapel, and six dining venues. With landscaped walking trails and personalized services, residents enjoy an innovative community designed for a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle. 

The Challenge

When Brightspire decided to expand and build new amenities on its Glenaire campus, the goal was to provide residents with state-of-the-art entertainment and event spaces to host a wide range of activities and information sessions. Central to the plan, the campus's audiovisual systems needed to prioritize clear communication, ease of use, and seamless integration with existing systems. A top priority for the overall designs was ensuring residents could easily operate AV systems and see and hear presentations clearly in every venue.  

From a construction perspective, the size of the project required careful planning, coordination, and scheduling throughout the building process. Randy Hopkins, Construction Manager for Brightspire, explains, “The project did have its hurdles. Unexpected challenges arose with the mechanical engineering, requiring collaboration between Solutionz and our team to find suitable locations for cabling and equipment.”  

Additionally, implementing fiber optic cable between the new and old campuses demanded teamwork to ensure a seamless connection. Because the new facilities were being constructed across a public street from the original Glenaire buildings, large runs of fiber optic cable were needed to connect the two buildings. Installing the long runs of network cabling required boring under a public street which meant a lengthy permitting process and a specialized structured cabling team.  

Solutionz, Inc., a national integrator, was up to the challenge. With decades of experience, strong manufacturing partners, and a structured cabling division, Solutionz had the expertise and attention to detail to meet the demands of this large construction project. 

The Approach

To streamline the AV infrastructure project for Glenaire’s campus expansion, Brightspire chose to partner once again with Solutionz. Building on the success of their previous collaboration on the River Landing project in Colfax, NC, Brightspire entrusted Solutionz with the complete design, installation, and implementation of the AV systems. This strategic partnership allowed Brightspire to efficiently manage the project by working with a single, proven provider. Randy Hopkins shares, “Their expertise in handling complex AV needs for multipurpose rooms and fitness centers made them a perfect fit for Glenaire's new expansion, which envisioned similar facilities. Given our successful partnership at River Landing, we opted to involve Solutionz early on. They were part of the design team from the outset and possessed the capability to handle the entire project.” Meticulous collaborative planning and foresight were integral to the project's success.   

Solutionz’s engineers developed a comprehensive understanding of how each space would be used and designed durable AV systems to ensure residents would experience ease of use and enjoyment in every venue. Once construction began, Solutionz's dedicated project manager worked closely with Brightspire to provide proper management of all the installation details. Open communication and expert technical teams allowed Solutionz to deliver AV system designs for each room’s unique needs.  Working with Solutionz, as a one-stop shop meant that Brightspire could meet their project goals on time and on budget.   

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The Solution

Solutionz worked with Brightspire to design AV solutions that would simplify end-user operations and enhance the lifestyle of Glenaire's senior community. As part of the solution, our team of experts turned to manufacturing partners like Crestron, ViewSonic, Biamp, Legrand AV, and Kramer. Together, we developed a state-of-the-art, technology-advanced facility that benefits residents’ experiences. 

In the lobby, hallways, and communal spaces, background music plays over Biamp’s ceiling-mounted speakers, adding a harmonious ambiance. Digital signage displays provide residents with up-to-date community news, including activities and events. In the café, digital signage menus are easily updated to show the day’s food options. For Glenaire's employees, setting up and changing digital signage content is simple with Kramer professional video switchers. 

Crestron touchscreens throughout Glenaire present a streamlined and intuitive interface, serving as a key solution to control audio, video, and lighting in most rooms. The uniform look and function of the touch panels enable residents to easily learn to adjust any room’s components, including videoconferencing systems. 

In the sports court, where competitions, pickleball, and a walking course are regular activities, a Crestron control system and Biamp speakers mounted on the mezzanine allow residents the option to play music through their personal phones using Bluetooth.  

In the fine arts area, individual rooms are dedicated to pottery, painting, music, and more. Crestron scheduling panels in the hallways announce a studio’s upcoming events. Inside the studio spaces, control panels allow presenters to connect to audio and video wirelessly or with HDMI. Large ViewSonic displays on the walls and Biamp ceiling-mounted speakers allow participants to see and hear presentations clearly. 

ViewSonic displays throughout Glenaire are expertly mounted on Chief mounts, achieving an aesthetically pleasing and secure installation. Using a Crestron control panel to operate the displays, residents enjoy their favorite programs while socializing and relaxing in the bar and lounges. 

In the chapel and the theater, large Da-Lite screens are installed, providing an exceptional viewing experience from anywhere in the room. Vaddio professional cameras are used for real-time streaming and videoconferencing. When the theater fills to capacity, the cameras allow overflow audiences to enjoy performances and presentations in the chapel and multi-purpose rooms. Vaddio cameras connect via USB for easy setup in Glenaire’s Zoom rooms, enabling seamless videoconferencing for residents to attend webinars and stay connected to family and friends. 

As part of a commitment to exceptional customer service, Solutionz provides comprehensive ongoing service and support for Glenaire’s audiovisual systems. Our team of experts ensures seamless operation through our premier remote monitoring and management service which enables resetting devices remotely, so systems are optimized when users engage. 

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The Result

Brightspire's commitment to resident experience shines through its investment in customized AV systems. By seamlessly integrating advanced technology into Glenaire’s campus, Brightspire, in partnership with Solutionz, has created an environment that not only enhances the daily lives of residents but serves as a model for senior living communities. The result is a vibrant, interconnected space where residents can easily engage with technology, connect with others, and enjoy a high quality of life. This successful project demonstrates the power of thoughtful design and cutting-edge technology to transform living spaces into thriving communities. 

Overall, the Glenaire expansion project shows the polished results of a strong partnership between a senior lifestyle community and a qualified AV solutions provider. Confident that residents will continue to enjoy the benefits of the AV systems for years to come, Brightspire and Solutionz look forward to the future with this great partnership! 

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