Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

New Jersey K–12 District, PureTek Partner to Create Three New Education Spaces

  • By Matt Jones
  • 07/10/24

Audiovisual solutions company PureTek Group recently partnered with Plainfield Public Schools in Plainfield, N.J., to create three new educational spaces for the district, according to a news release. The project involves upgrading the existing Plainfield High School auditorium into a performing arts center, a mini-theater into a blackbox theater, and two adjacent unused classrooms into an Esports Arena. The renovations will create new STEAM and CTE learning opportunities across the district.

The Esports Arena contains 20 gaming stations for players, as well as additional stations for broadcast operators, shoutcasters, and a replay operator. Spectators can watch from the school’s auditorium, and the blackbox theater also serves as a greenroom for teams not currently playing. Technology highlights include immersive lighting via criss-crossing, ceiling-mounted strips; integration with the performing arts center and blackbox theater; and broadcasting capabilities.

The Performing Arts Center (PAC) has a capacity for 1,600 and will play home to student performances. In addition to Esports Tournaments, it will also be used for rentals and community support programs. Technology highlights include the unRAVL Controls, which offer streamlined and intuitive control for rigging, AV, and lighting systems from a single touch panel. The PAC also has a large projection screen with a 30,000-lumen 4K laser projector, according to a project fact sheet.

The Blackbox Theater has a 120-seat capacity and will be used for arts education and performance spaces. It can also serve as the esports green room, as a professional education space, and a college-style lecture hall to prepare older students for university settings. The Blackbox Theater also uses the unRAVL System for rigging, audio, visual, and lighting solutions, the fact sheet reports.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Doerr School of Sustainability Accelerator

    From Concrete Warehouse to Innovation Hub: Accelerating Sustainability at Stanford

    The transformation of a once windowless, concrete publishing warehouse into a sun-drenched center for global innovation began with a single, fundamental challenge: how to turn an industrial storage shell into a space built for human connection.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.