The legacy broadcast system in the US Capitol’s House of Representatives Chamber was nearing the end of its useful life. Relying on equipment nearly 20 years old, the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) sought a new, upgraded system reflecting contemporary industry standards. Work needed to be completed and commissioned during a very short August recess. Challenges included accommodating Congress’s schedule and an impossible timeline established by the AOC including performing most work off-hours. Working on a historic venue such as this, aesthetic considerations included blending new technology within ornate woodwork and marble, necessitating custom painting and mounting.
Representing the AOC, NV5 provided Owner’s Rep Services throughout system design and installation, which included a system with many fail-safes and multiple levels of redundancy, new custom microphones, digital signal processors, assisted listening, redundant amplifiers and over 900 loudspeakers for sound reinforcement. Microphones were located at several positions on the Speaker’s Rostrum, on two lecterns in the well, at two tables in the seating area, plus integrated into the millwork of two seats at center rear along the aisle (called “doorkeeper” mics, for announcing people entering the Chamber). Inobtrusive reinforcement loudspeakers were seamlessly integrated into the back of legislators’ seats and between seats near the floor, providing perfect voice intelligibility throughout the entire Chamber. All audio systems were double- and in some cases triple-redundant, with multiple fiber optic cables for connections between the independent head ends. All mic locations had two elements, each one feeding two head ends. The project also included new audio links to the House Recording Studio in an adjacent building.
NV5 represented the owner’s interests throughout the elaborate update. Despite working around politicians, congressional pages and bomb-sniffing dogs, the project was completed on-time for Congress to return from August Recess, and within the budget as established by the Architect of the Capitol.
