Plainfield High School empowering education through innovation

Plainfield High School has recently undergone a transformative upgrade including a new performing arts center and a revolutionary esports arena. This project, expertly integrated by PureTek Group and supported by Barco projection, showcases the power of innovation and state-of-the-art technology to nurture their students' academic and extracurricular pursuits.

Context

Plainfield High School, located in New Jersey, is dedicated to offering comprehensive STEAM and CTE learning opportunities. The recent upgrades to its facilities reflect this commitment and pushes Plainfield Public School’s agenda to provide its students and educators the best available tools for success.

They transformed their 1,600-seat auditorium to an immersive performing arts center, changed the mini-theater into a blackbox theater, and turned two adjacent classrooms, previously used for storage, into a high-end esports arena which serves as a homebase for practice for the Plainfield Esports Team and participation in the Garden State Esports scholastic league.

The new facilities are designed not only to enhance the educational experience but also to generate revenue with the venue being the ideal fit to host local, state, regional, and national tournaments and events.

Challenge

Before the upgrade, the auditorium and black box theater were equipped with outdated and malfunctioning technology, making them difficult to use and uninviting. The existing spaces were underutilized and lacked the functionality required for modern educational and extracurricular activities. By modernizing these spaces, the school aims to foster a thriving community and a high-quality environment for students and staff.

“When we think about all of our other academic programs and sport teams, we want to make sure that we provide the best,” says Rashon Hasan Superintendent of the Plainfield Public School about the vision for the venues. “If we want our students to really have a seat in a position at the table, we have to not only prepare them by having great coaches, great advisors, they also have to have the best equipment as well.”

Solution

PureTek Group stepped in as designer and integrator of a comprehensive technology system for each upgraded space. Recognizing Barco as a reputable and reliable brand who stand by their customers with an innovative visualization portfolio and a strong support program, PureTek Group turned to us for the projection solutions.

The arts performance center now features a 35’ x 14.8’ projection screen equipped with a Barco UDM laser projector, delivering 4K video and 30,000 lumens. The UDM series projectors, known for their exceptional brightness, ensure vivid and clear images even in large venues with high ambient light. The 4K resolution provides detailed and crisp visuals, bringing Broadway professionalism to the public school in Plainfield.

The 120-seat black box theater was outfitted with a Barco G62-W14. The compact single-chip laser projector is a highly versatile with seamless integration capabilities in the more intimate venues. The G-series models deliver high-performance projection at a competitive price point, making advanced projection technology accessible to schools like Plainfield.

The new esports arena features 20 gaming stations, additional stations for broadcast and replay operations, and an immersive spectator experience with real-time gameplay streaming to the auditorium. The 1,600-seat auditorium and black box theater serve as spectating and green room areas, respectively, enhancing the overall tournament experience.

Additionally, the projection in both the performing arts center and black box theater is controlled via the unRAVL system. This PureTek proprietary system integrates all lighting, audio, visual and rigging technologies into a user-friendly touchscreen-based platform which simplifies feed selection and streamlines usage. 

Results

The newly installed Barco projectors look great and have transformed the auditorium and esports arena into state-of-the-art facilities. The high-definition visuals and reliable performance of these projectors have exceeded the customers’ expectations, providing the Plainfield High School students and community with an unparalleled experience through cutting-edge equipment and ample opportunities for creative and technical education.