GVAV
A new landmark for teaching and collaboration at University of Oxford.
Background
When GVAV completed the AV integration for the new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities at University of Oxford, the result was far more than a technology installation.
The £185 million development brings together teaching, performance, research and collaboration spaces under one roof, creating a future-focused environment designed around hybrid learning and connected experiences.
GVAV appointed Arrow & Zest to produce a cinematic video case study, photography and supporting social content to help showcase both the technical achievement and the wider vision behind the project.
Challenge
The challenge was to capture one of the University’s most ambitious new academic buildings in a way that felt both technically credible and emotionally engaging.
GVAV had delivered a sophisticated building-wide AV infrastructure spanning more than 100 AV-enabled spaces, including lecture theatres, seminar rooms, meeting spaces and collaborative environments. The project featured a network-first AV-over-IP architecture, Microsoft Teams-enabled hybrid teaching spaces, lecture capture and centralised management throughout the building.
Rather than focusing purely on hardware, the story needed to communicate how technology had been integrated to support modern teaching, collaboration and long-term flexibility.
Services
✔ Video case study
✔ Photography
✔ Social assets
Watch the video case study
Solution
Arrow & Zest planned and delivered a cinematic one-day shoot to capture one of Oxford University’s most advanced AV environments.
We worked closely with GVAV, University of Oxford and consultancy partner Hewshott to understand the vision, scope and technologies behind the project, developing a tailored filming plan to tell the story.
A tightly coordinated one-day shoot captured teaching spaces, meeting rooms, public areas and the building’s central atrium, featuring a large-format LED installation displaying digital artwork by Rafik Anadol. Cinematic camera movement, controlled lighting and architectural framing helped showcase both the scale of the building and the hidden AV integration behind the scenes.
Interviews with stakeholders from University of Oxford, GVAV and Hewshott explored topics including AV-over-IP infrastructure, Microsoft Teams-enabled learning spaces, lecture capture and scalable system design – helping translate complex technology into a story that felt accessible, engaging and commercially relevant.
Results
The finished case study became a flagship marketing asset for GVAV, combining cinematic storytelling with technical depth.
Alongside the main film, Arrow & Zest delivered photography and social media assets to support ongoing marketing activity.
The content is now being used across GVAV’s sales and business development activity to showcase its capabilities within higher education and demonstrate its expertise in delivering complex, future-ready learning environments.
More importantly, the project helped position GVAV not simply as an AV integrator, but as a strategic technology partner capable of supporting the evolving needs of modern universities.
“The Arrow & Zest team were a pleasure to work with once again.
Alex took the time to fully understand the brief and what we were trying to achieve, while bringing genuine creative flair and fresh ideas to the table. The whole process from planning through to delivery was seamless.
Having worked with Alex on previous case studies we knew we were in safe hands, and the final video does justice to a project that we are incredibly proud of. Already looking forward to working together on the next one."
Michael Courts Marketing Manager, GVAV
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