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

  • Chicago District Completes Construction on New Elementary School

    North Chicago School District 187 in North Chicago, Ill., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Forrestal Elementary School, according to a news release. The new school marks a major investment in military-connected students and families at Naval Station Great Lakes.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • How Proactive Maintenance Can Transform Athletic Facilities into Strategic Assets for College Sports

    College athletics is entering one of the most transformative periods in its history. With NIL reshaping financial models and competitive expectations, athletic departments across the country are being asked to do more than ever with increasingly constrained resources.

  • Washington State District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Cheney School District No. 360 in Spokane County, Wash., recently announced that construction has begun on a new elementary school, according to local news. The district held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 18 in Airway Heights for the yet-to-be-named school, which is scheduled to open in fall 2027.