Story

The J.W. Marriott has some of the most stunning architectural elements in West Michigan. Their design is bold and thoughtful, high quality design defined the entire project. Our job was fairly straightforward: We needed to install an audio system built for easy control and flexible input options. The idea was to be wired for sound, but not necessarily “hard-wired” for sound.


This project had one challenge that we didn’t anticipate. As we worked to stay on schedule, the scope changed. We needed to add a t-coil loop system. This system allows the sound signal to be broadcast directly into a hearing aid. The problem was, the floors had already been poured.


The difficulty came from the fact that a loop system puts out a very weak, non-disruptive signal. The ballroom, which is the largest hotel ballroom in West Michigan, features ceilings that were too high for our digitally processed amplified signals to reach the listener. The floor was poured and carpeted but with the high ceiling not a workable location, we went back to the floor utilizing an innovative process that embed the wire into the carpet. West Michigan is the most “looped” region of all the United States. We are very proud to be a part of maintaining this distinction.


Budget $330,000.


Supervision Gary Zandstra, Steve Driesenga, Jeff VandeHoef.