Working with a consortium of the School Department, the Community Cable system, and Cambridge Community Television, HMFH designed a television production and training center in a former auto dealership.
The new 5,500 sf complex contains a mix of production, editing, instructional and administrative spaces neatly fitted into a long, narrow building that once housed cars for sale. A large, three-camera production studio and adjacent control room anchor the far end of the building while the 16-seat classroom/editing lab equipped with high-end Macs faces the street. In between, offices for the various user programs, a pair of editing rooms, a narration room, a master control room, and a green room make up the rest of the complex.
The building’s limited window openings complemented the need for complete control of lighting in the production spaces. Available light was brought into offices through windows and a restored central skylight. Three street side windows bring light into the classroom and allow those outside a glimpse into this busy media center where students and professionals produce programs for the city’s educational and municipal cable channels. In addition, students are taught to use camcorders and other field production equipment to create programs aimed at their peers as well as the greater community.