Canadian-Founded and Operated
Case study:
University of Calgary
A Living Wall of Honour: Celebrating Teaching Excellence Through Digital Innovation
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Overview
In 2024, The University of Calgary’s Taylor Institute of Teaching and Learning, the first Canadian building dedicated entirely to advancing teaching excellence, decided to develop an enduring solution to replace their current “Wall of Honour”, which recognizes current and past recipients of the University’s annual Teaching Awards, Enter Matrix Video Communications Corp. a preferred vendor for the University of Calgary with significant history with the Taylor Institute of Teaching and Learning being the original supplier and integrator when the building opened in 2016.
The Challenge
The university faced several challenges with its existing “Wall of Honour”, including:
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Sustainability: Having a finite area of available space made expansion limited.
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Event Support: The Taylor Institute lacked a large, permanent display that could support events and be easily operated without specialized technical knowledge.
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Modernization: Moving into the LED Display arena, instead of projection was a major step, necessary given the significant ambient light in the atrium and budget constraints.
Brian Pshyk, Environment Operations Specialist at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, describes what prompted the university’s switch to an LED Wall:
“The Wall of Honour recognizes current and past recipients of the University of Calgary’s annual Teaching Awards, which have celebrated excellence in teaching and learning since 2014. In 2018, I conducted a space assessment and determined that the static plaques would fully consume the available wall space within five years. At the same time, we learned that the supplier for the engraved nameplates might discontinue production of the required hardware, creating long-term sustainability concerns.
Given these challenges, we decided to develop a future-proof, flexible solution for recognizing award recipients. This also presented an opportunity to introduce a striking audiovisual feature into the Taylor Institute atrium is an active event space that, until then, lacked a permanent PA system and any form of large-scale visual display.”
The Solution
The university partnered with Matrix Video Communications Corp., a preferred vendor for the University of Calgary and original integrator for the building in 2016, to implement this refresh of their “Wall of Honour”.
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LED Display: MVCC installed 165” diagonal custom resolution 1.5mm pixel pitch LED Display. A dynamic and customizable solution for the space.
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AV Control: Consisting of an HDMI input place, an XLR in and out plate at the wall, a Spinetix iBX410 Hyper Media Player, a Crestron AirMedia wireless presentation system, a Xilica Bluetooth 5.0 to Dante module wall plate, and a Shure four-channel wireless microphone system.
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Impressive Audio: Presentation audio is provided in the space via wall-mounted Biamp EXT212W speakers and a Biamp IS6-12W subwoofer.
According to Brian, Matrix has significant strengths that contributed to the success of this project:
“Two key strengths stood out when working with Matrix. First, their technical staff are genuinely factory-trained to assemble and deploy complex AV systems. There is no guesswork, everything is fully designed, documented, and reviewed before installation begins.
Second, Matrix works with manufacturers whose systems integrate seamlessly, starting at the quoting stage. Model numbers and components are transparent and easy to research, and substitutions or refinements can be made without unnecessary change orders or red tape. The process is straightforward, collaborative, and well-supported by their sales team from start to finish.”
Results & Impact
The installation delivered significant improvements, now nearly every event held at the Taylor Institute incorporates the Wall of Honour in some way, displaying event schedules, QR codes, building maps, guest speaker bios, or ambient visual content. Due to its prominent placement and proximity to the central floor area, the Wall of Honour becomes an integral part of each event rather than a peripheral screen. The visual clarity, contrast, and vibrant colour it brings to the space impresses visitors and brings a new energy to the concrete and glass space. Students enjoy its use during major sporting events like the Olympics or Word cup, where the Wall of Honour becomes a social gathering point and welcome break from studies. Staff appreciate that the installation finally added a missing AV component to the atrium, is intuitive to use, and the sound system delivers outstanding audio quality. The direct view LED screen shares the space with four paintings by Indigenous artist Jennifer Leason, Ph.D. The paintings represent the four stages of life—conception, childhood, adulthood, and Eldership—and the blessings of a lifelong journey. Like lifelong learning, they remind us that we are always growing, learning, and transforming through the teachings of the land (dark blue) and water (turquoise). Ancestors, kinship, and community (hummingbirds) help guide us, reflecting that teachers and knowledge exist all around us—in the land, water, family, stories, animals, and elements. The yellow symbolizes sunrise, new beginnings, hope, and the passing of knowledge to future generations.
Brian talks about his experience working with Matrix now and in the past:
“I attended the grand opening of Matrix’s first West Edmonton location over 30 years ago, and their continued commitment to the AV and broadcast industry has been exceptional. I have partnered with them on projects both large and small, and their level of service and support remains consistent regardless of scope. Matrix stands behind everything they sell and works directly with manufacturers and distributors to ensure solutions are done right. They understand our institutional needs and objectives, which makes solution development more efficient and communication clearer for everyone involved.“
Brian shares how this installation has contributed to the University’s Mission and Vision:
“The University of Calgary’s vision is to be a global intellectual hub in Canada’s most enterprising city recognized as a top five research university that champions innovation, sustainability, and community engagement. Its mission is to advance knowledge, deliver high-quality education, and prepare students to address society’s most pressing challenges. The Wall of Honour strongly supports all three pillars of this vision. Introducing a high-impact visual and audio element to the atrium was innovative on both a technical and experiential level, and it revealed new use cases we had not anticipated during planning. From a sustainability perspective, eliminating the need for costly physical plaques reduces long-term material use and allows updates or corrections to be made instantly.
Most importantly, the wall has become a community focal point within the Taylor Institute. Framed by Indigenous artwork, it helps anchor the space as a place of recognition, gathering, and shared learning for generations to come. Looking back, it is hard to imagine the atrium without it. The visual quality and pristine sound are enjoyed by the entire UCalgary community. Thanks, Matrix!”
Conclusion
This project demonstrates how the University of Calgary successfully modernized its atrium by evolving the traditional, static Wall of Honour into a dynamic digital experience. The new solution not only preserves the legacy of teaching excellence, but also creates fresh opportunities to engage visitors, students, and staff throughout the space. Matrix Video Communications Corp. played a key role in delivering this vision, providing a seamless transition to state-of-the-art audiovisual technology. Together, the result offers a compelling example for institutions seeking to future-proof their learning environments while enhancing recognition and engagement.
Interested in upgrading your institution’s AV technology? Contact Matrix Video Communications Corp. to explore tailored audiovisual integration strategies for your organization.
With over 30 years of industry experience and thousands of successful projects, Matrix Video Communications Corp. provides consultation and design as well as installation, programming, training, and everything in between to deliver high-quality, scalable audiovisual solutions tailored to your needs.
