Columbia University Esports Room

Columbia University can now boast about its new Esports gaming lounge as the result of a design collaboration between Desai Chia Architects and Acentech’s Technology Group. The Walter and Shirley Fan Wang Esports Room has replaced an underused lounge in Wallach residence hall, a historic 10-story structure on Columbia’s Upper West Side campus. While inserting a new, state-of-the-art gaming studio into this historic building had its challenges, the design and engineering team found creative ways to insert power, data networking, and acoustical treatments into the new space.

Two concepts, the ‘Brain’ and the ‘Blade’ organize the room and its technology. The Brain acts as the core for computer equipment, cabling and wiring, which are accessible for future technology upgrades. Skinned in perforated stainless steel panels, the Brain’s HVAC system maintains consistent room temperature for both human occupants and the computer stations, while custom, faceted acoustical panels absorb unwanted noise.

The Blade, an independent structure across from the Brain, forms a flexible area for 12 gaming stations. The entire room can be configured for a variety of uses, including individual or team play, intercollegiate tournaments, and Esports training.

Acentech’s Technology Group worked closely with the design team, providing AV system design, including specifications for large screen displays, speech reinforcement and playback, an ADA-compliant inductive loop assistive listening system, audio/video streaming, and live video production/recording systems. Acentech also specified the telecommunications infrastructure, including wired cabling, wireless network infrastructure, and networked systems integrated into the lighting controls. Our acoustics group provided recommendations for room finishes and sound isolation strategies to prevent the game noise from disturbing nearby occupants.

With customizable, color-changing LED lighting and animated digital collages, this new Esports room brings excitement and life to the Columbia University residential and gaming community. Watch this engaging video, where the space comes alive!