Originally constructed in 1907 as St. Joseph’s School of Industry, designed by Francis E. Tormey, Sr., and later known to generations as Seton High School, this historic building has long been a place of learning, community, and opportunity. Today, it continues that legacy as the home of the Johns Hopkins University School of Education.

Convergent was proud to support the latest chapter of this landmark’s story through the School of Education Renovation, working in close collaboration with Hord Coplan Macht. Our team provided Telecom and Audiovisual (A/V) services designed to thoughtfully integrate modern technology within a historic structure, enhancing connectivity, flexibility, and collaboration while respecting the character of the original building.

From upgraded communications infrastructure to adaptable A/V systems supporting contemporary teaching and learning, this project bridges more than a century of educational purpose with today’s evolving academic needs.

Projects like this demonstrate how technology can help preserve the spirit of historic spaces while enabling their transformation for future generations. We’re grateful to be part of a project that honors the past while supporting the future of education at Johns Hopkins University.

✅ Reality: Once architectural decisions are locked in, acoustical and system performance options become limited and expensive to fix.

In healthcare, performance venues, and complex facilities, acoustics and low‑voltage infrastructure directly impact:

💬Speech intelligibility
🔒Patient privacy and comfort
🔊Sound isolation and noise control
⚙️System usability and safety

At Convergent Technologies Design Group, we collaborate early with the design team to ensure acoustics, AV, and infrastructure are integrated into the building, not forced into it afterward.

Great spaces don’t just look good…they sound, function, and perform as intended.

Convergent Technologies Design Group is proud to have supported the 2400 Ontario Rd NW (Jubilee Housing – Ontario Place) development with our Telecom, A/V, and Access Control Security solutions. This project brings more than 50 affordable homes to the Adams Morgan/Columbia Heights community, along with innovative resident‑focused amenities, which include:

🏘️A working rooftop aquaponics farm producing fresh food for residents

🏘️Modern amenity spaces, including a penthouse lounge, courtyard, and fitness center

🏘️Deeply affordable units serving households at 30–50% AMI

Our team delivered the building’s structured cabling, integrated security, and A/V systems to help create a safe, connected, and modern environment for future residents. We’re honored to support Jubilee Housing and its partners in creating safe, connected, and empowering spaces for residents. Projects like this remind us why thoughtful technology and security design matter.

In healthcare environments, communication systems have to work together in tandem.

Nurse call systems are critical to patient care. Audiovisual systems support clinical collaboration, patient education, and operational efficiency. But when these systems are designed independently, opportunities for integration and performance are often missed.

We’re seeing increased demand for coordination between:
• Nurse call and real-time location systems
• Patient room displays and clinical communication platforms
• Overhead paging and distributed AV systems
• Emergency notification and visual messaging
• Telehealth capabilities integrated directly within patient rooms

When planned early, coordinated systems can improve:
✔ Response time
✔ Staff workflow
✔ Patient experience
✔ Situational awareness
✔ Long-term scalability

However, integration requires early collaboration between technology, electrical, and clinical planning teams. Device locations, power requirements, network capacity, acoustics, and user interface design all influence system performance.

A good example of this is the Villanova University Driscoll Hall College of Nursing project we worked on. It is essential when training to be a nurse to have the proper systems in place. Good nurse call systems and proper AV coordination provide students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real-time practice. Healthcare technology is no longer just about devices; it’s about ecosystem design.

Want to see our designs in person? Villanova is holding a Nursing Convention in the building we designed next week, Wednesday March 18th. The Conference is dedicated to simulation-based learning and is intended for nursing educators, healthcare professionals, and simulation specialists, with Keynote Speaker Kathleen McGrow. If you would like to attend, please register by using the link below:
https://na.eventscloud.com/ereg/newreg.php?eventid=857148&categoryid=5911362