Our Favorite Projects of 2016!

 
 
 
With the holiday season nearly over and the New Year upon us, we, in what has become an annual tradition select our favorite projects from the past year. Whether it be overcoming a challenge, exploring a new technology, or building a strong new client relationship, it is always exciting to hear what stood out as their favorites and why. 

For me, as president, it was especially extraordinary and exciting. In April, Shanahan marked its 65th anniversary. What began as a cubby sized television repair shop serving the local community is today one of the premier audio video integrators in New England. I am very proud of this accomplishment. Our second impressive milestone happened in November. We were able to pull off a surprise party for Jim Berlo in celebration of his 25th anniversary with the company. I remember the day of his interview and am honored he has chosen to make his career here. 

As we begin 2017, I wish one and all a happy, healthy and wealthy year! 

Warmest regards, 
Catherine
 
Our Favorite Projects of 2016! 
 
Tom Chapman 
St. Eulalia 
Winchester, MA 
When it comes to any installation, nothing makes me happier than working alongside a well-organized general contractor. Building a strong relationship with the site supervisor and other trades ensures that all infrastructure needed for our install is accurately done and perfectly synchronized for us to arrive on site and get the job done. This was no exception at Saint Eulalia in Winchester. The church's main sanctuary was being given a major facelift. For us to bring their sound system up to date, all new conduit runs were needed before we could begin the wiring for our system. Upon arriving at the site for our installation, all of the conduit was run exactly as we requested and everything went according to plan. On a technical level, the final system was not our most complex but it was the way all of the elements came together that made it my favorite job of the year. 
 
Edy DaSilva 
Hill Holiday 
Boston, MA 
Without a doubt my favorite project this year was at Hill Holiday in Boston. What made the job so rewarding was knowing the technology I implemented would be used to its fullest potential as a tool to create some of the nation's most memorable advertisements. By working closely alongside Hill Holiday's IT department, we were able to exceed expectations and provide a cutting edge solution for their audio and video editing needs. This job also allowed me to work very in depth with Black Magic Design's newest products. Because of this project I have become the "go to guy" for anything Black Magic at Hill Holiday and our company. 
Definitely a client I want to continue working with. 
 
Nik Vlahos 
New Repertory Theater 
Watertown, MA 
The New Repertory Theater, on the surface, seemed like a quite simple install. A phased array hearing loop was to be installed along the entire seating area and new carpeting was being installed on top of it. I had no idea that just days after our install was completed, I would have to report back to the theater because multiple lines had been accidentally cut during the carpet install. I took to the challenge determined to find the numerous cuts and restore the loop to its working condition. In doing so, I was able to develop both my overall knowledge of hearing loops and my troubleshooting abilities. 
After completing this project, I can confidently tackle any hearing loop and know exactly how to troubleshoot any difficulties that may come along. To top it off, the final product is a great sounding hearing loop installed in a theater where anyone living with hearing loss can enjoy and appreciate the wonderful performances. 
 
Josh Chapman 
The Hanover Insurance 
Worcester, MA 
My favorite project for 2016 was a conference room upgrade for a long term client, Hanover Insurance Company in Worcester, MA. This project required much logistical effort on my part and our entire team. After managing significant supply issues, back orders, scheduling restraints and resource conflicts, we were ready for the installation. After all that, and on the day of install one of the displays was found severely damaged in transit by the freight company! The box was crushed and the display shattered. 
The damaged display was replaced and the video wall completed. It was a project of true collaboration and my favorite of the year. 
 
Jim Berlo 
New Bridge on the Charles 
Dedham, MA 
Of all of the systems I have designed over the past year, the one that stands out most to me is the Theater at New Bridge on the Charles senior living community. The inspiration for the project came as a result of one of the community's residents and it was quite rewarding getting to make his vision a reality. 
In addition to updating the theater with a new projector and control system, a broadcast feed of the movies being shown was to be sent throughout the living community to all of the residents' televisions. I really enjoyed taking on this challenge and finding the most elegant solution to make this all happen. After overcoming a few hurdles in the design phase, the finished product allows residents to now engage in movie viewing gatherings while also giving them the option to watch the same movies without having to leave their residence. 
 
Shaun Crossen 
Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts 
Waltham, MA 
What made the Great Hall my favorite project was integrating new technology into in older building and transforming the space into a multipurpose venue that could be used for anything from a lecture hall to conference calls. When the hall was renovated, the drop ceiling tiles were removed to expose the beautiful original framing of the building with a steep pitched ceiling. While aesthetically pleasing, the raised ceiling resulted in a highly reverberant and difficult room for intelligible audio. To overcome this we installed acoustic tiling along the slanted walls which made for a much better sounding room. This addition was something a bit uncommon to most of our installs but we found it to be the secret ingredient in making this room what it is today. 
Throughout the project, I truly enjoyed working with our contact, Barbara. From early on in the planning, Barbara had a very clear idea of what she wanted the resulting product to be and as a team I think we nailed it!