As the seasons turn and we head toward Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, there’s yet another cycle in progress: Steve Thorburn will step up as the new president of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) during the IAAPA Attractions Expo this November in sunny Orlando. TEA is a prestigious international alliance that has accomplished a great deal in terms of defining and growing the themed entertainment industry (aka “Experience Industry”) – which includes amusement parks, museums and heritage centers, retail centers, resorts, houses of worship and more. Through its Thea Awards, TEA has achieved recognition for the individuals and companies who create the industry’s best themed projects and places. “The TEA presidency demands vision, leadership and commitment, and Steve Thorburn has all three,” declares sitting president Nick Farmer, who will pass the gavel to Steve.

Thorburn Associates is expanding its North Carolina offices! Our new facility will double as a showcase/laboratory for the best in open-office plan design, acoustics, and communications technology.

California Society for Healthcare Engineering (CSHE), Concord CA, Oct 16. Visit our exhibit booth.

Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) 2008 Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, Nov 3-5. Visit our exhibit booth #719.

AIA Architecture Exchange East, Richmond VA, Nov. 12-14. Visit our exhibit booth #611.

AIA California Council 2008 Practice Conference, San Diego, Nov. 14-16. Visit our exhibit booth.

IAAPA Attractions Expo, Orlando, Nov. 17-21. Look for Steve and Lisa Thorburn in the TEA booth, #1268.

Our worship centers are not exempt from the crimes of opportunity and other losses that are found in the rest of our world. The nature of the worship experience makes us vulnerable. So with a special eye we need to review our surroundings and determine how to better protect the institution, its property and the congregation it serves.

While all threats cannot be prevented by visual security systems, the documentation provided enables many to be deterred or resolved. The illegitimate slip-and-fall suit will not succeed if there is a visual record of the hoax. The breaking and entering to steal the praise team’s new sound system will be caught on video. If the security camera system is visible, then these activities might not even take place. 

Security cameras have come down in price and are less intrusive than before.  One of our favorite types of camera is the small dome camera. These come in many different styles, including smoked domes, which obscure where the camera is pointed.  Security cameras can be mounted in a fixed position, or remotely controlled as needed, and the control system can be as simple as an ethernet computer cable. The smaller models are easy to conceal. For outdoor surveillance – in a parking lot, for instance - cameras can be protected by outdoor housing. The new mega-pixel cameras on the market provide some four times the detail in an image than does standard video. 

Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) enable you to digitally record events “TIVO” style, without videotape. The images are stored on a computer hard drive – the larger the drive, the more storage space and the longer time before the images will be recorded over.  Internally they typically use four channel encoding cards, so design your camera system in 4, 8, 12 or 16 channels to get the best cost payback from your recorder.

A major advantage of DVR is the ability to view the recorded image remotely on the Internet. This empowers you or your authorized personnel to connect and view from home, for instance, or from the local police station. The ability to respond quickly – to pull the view of the camera when the burglar alarm first goes off, for example – helps you determine whether the alarm is genuine or a false trigger.

Thorburn Associates has been awarded a GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract number from the US General Services Administration. TA is now in a position to directly bid on Government projects as a designer of audiovisual systems, security systems and data-telecom infrastructure.

The GSA Federal Supply Schedules program is the preferred method of procurement for the Federal government. Government agencies buy from GSA Schedules because they know they are getting an approved product or service, and that the company has undergone an extensive vetting from GSA.

Minneapolis-based Netwell has been serving the acoustics industry for more than 20 years with a wide range of noise control products. Netwell supplies more than 60 products to the acoustics market and prides itself on cost-effectiveness and small orders.

Sound absorption products include textured foam panels, bass traps, acoustical ceiling tiles and wall coverings. Sound barrier products include PVC sheets, material for wrapping ductwork, quilted curtains, ceiling tile caps and phone booth enclosures.