Control room planning decides whether a mission-critical environment really works in everyday use. A control room is not a room with monitors. It is a workplace for fast decisions, clear situation pictures and safe operational management. That is why room, people, video wall, KVM, Barco systems, ergonomics, acoustics, lighting, climate, IT security and service must be planned together.
controlrooms GmbH has more than 25 years of experience in planning, fitting out and supporting control rooms, security centres and video wall systems. As an Austrian single-source provider and system integrator, controlrooms accompanies projects from the first analysis to ongoing 24/7 operation.
With Barco-based control room solutions in particular, the difference between individual components and a coordinated architecture becomes apparent. The right video wall, a clean KVM structure, intuitive operation via platforms such as Barco CTRL and ergonomically planned operator workstations must fit together. Only then is the result a control room that remains safe to operate even during a fault.
What does professional control room planning mean?
Professional control room planning does not begin with selecting a video wall. It begins with the operators’ tasks, the sources, the alarm paths, the shift models, the response times and the operational risks. Only from these do room layout, number of workstations, sightlines, display areas, KVM architecture, furniture, acoustics and lighting follow.
- Survey and analysis: processes, sources, user roles, room, technology and operational requirements.
- Floor plan and 3D planning: realistic representation of room, workstations, video wall and technical zones.
- VR and virtual room review: early assessment of sightlines, operating routes and the effect of the room.
- Visibility studies: legibility, viewing distance, pixel pitch, viewing angle and information hierarchy.
- Ergonomics: operator workstations, 24/7 suitability, lighting, acoustics and room climate.
- System integration: Barco video wall, KVM, sources, networks, GUI, operating concept and redundancy.
- Project management: coordination, site management, quality assurance, documentation, training and service.
Barco, video wall and situation picture
In the control room environment, Barco is a central technology partner for visualisation and control room platforms. Whether LCD video wall, LED video wall, rear projection or software-based control room platform: what matters is not just the display, but the entire situation picture. Which information must be permanently visible? Which sources are shown as the situation requires? Who may control which content? Which display really helps operators in an emergency?
controlrooms does not plan Barco solutions in isolation, but as part of an overall architecture. This includes video wall size, viewing distance, resolution, brightness, redundancy, maintainability, operating concept and integration into existing systems. The goal is visualisation that supports decisions – not a wall that merely looks impressive.
KVM and operator workflows
KVM is the operational backbone of many control rooms. Operators must be able to access different source systems safely and quickly, without getting lost between keyboards, mice and islands of monitors. Professional KVM planning reduces complexity at the workstation, supports network separation and improves response speed.
In combination with Barco CTRL or classic KVM systems, the result is operator workspaces in which sources, user rights and displays can be controlled in a managed way. For energy, transport, industry, data centres, security centres and critical infrastructure, this clear operating logic is a safety factor.
Ergonomics, ISO 11064 and 24/7 operation
In 24/7 operation, ergonomics determines concentration, health and error prevention. Visibility, speech intelligibility, lighting, acoustics, air conditioning, workstation height, monitor positions and operating routes must be planned early. The relevant principles of ISO 11064 for control rooms help to assess working environments in a structured, human-centred way.
controlrooms does not treat ergonomics as a furniture topic, but as part of operational reliability. Control room furniture, operator consoles, cable management, heat management, acoustic measures and human-centric lighting must suit real use. The best control room is the one in which operators can still make clear decisions in the last hour of the night shift.
Planning, integration and project management from a single source
A control room project has many stakeholders: client, operator, architects, general planners, IT, OT, security, building services and future users. Without central responsibility, friction losses arise. controlrooms handles the technical and planning translation between these worlds and ensures that requirements do not disappear at the interfaces.
This includes feasibility studies, usage concepts, process analysis, technical architecture, interface coordination, site management, quality assurance, documentation and training. Errors avoided in strategic planning do not have to be corrected expensively later. That saves time, budget and nerves – three things that traditionally evaporate in mysterious ways on construction projects.
Which areas is this planning suitable for?
- Control rooms for energy, water and utilities
- Traffic management centres and operations control centres
- Security centres and security operations centres
- Production control rooms and process control rooms
- Data centres and network operations centres
- Race control and other highly dynamic operational environments
AI in control room planning
Artificial intelligence is also becoming more relevant in control room planning: for document analysis, comparing variants, researching standards, service knowledge, technical assistance and later operational support. What matters is that AI is based on verified expertise, real project experience and documented requirements. For controlrooms, AI is not an end in itself, but a tool to make planning, support and access to knowledge faster and more precise.
Showroom and Customer Experience Center
In the controlrooms Customer Experience Center and control room showroom, customers experience Barco technologies, video wall concepts, KVM operation, operator workstations and control room furniture in practice. With control rooms this matters: you have to experience sightlines, the feel of operation and the effect of the room before making million-euro decisions on the basis of attractive renderings.
Are you planning a new control room or the modernisation of your existing one? Arrange a personal meeting, an online meeting or a showroom appointment. Contact: office@controlrooms.at, erich.strasser@controlrooms.at or by phone on +43 664 8866 7817.
One example from practice is the modernisation of the ASFINAG tunnel control rooms Bruck and Plabutsch with an interim control room and a new room layout.
The design of the operator workstations in detail: planning a control room console desk.
- Control rooms for energy & water
- Traffic management centres
- Security centres & building surveillance
- Industrial production control rooms
- Control rooms for data centres (NOC)
- Race control for race tracks
- Aviation & air traffic control
- Emergency & dispatch centres
- Defence & command and control centres
Visit our showroom in Wieselburg or Vienna
Would you like to experience a modern control room, a security centre or a video wall solution live rather than only on screen? Then visit our controlrooms showroom in Wieselburg or Vienna by appointment.
On site we show you how control room planning, Barco visualisation, KVM, operator workstations, ergonomics and service work together in practice. For a personal meeting, an initial technical consultation or a showroom appointment, please contact Erich Strasser.
Frequently asked questions about control room planning with Barco
What does professional control room planning include?
Professional planning covers as-is analysis, room layout, sightlines, operator workstations, video wall, KVM, acoustics, climate, lighting, furniture, IT security, maintenance and future expandability. What matters is the interplay of people, room and technology – not the isolated selection of individual components.
Why is Barco relevant for control rooms?
Barco supplies visualisation and control room technologies developed for 24/7 operation, clear situation pictures and scalable workflows. As a Barco Gold Partner in Austria, controlrooms plans these systems not as a product island, but as part of a complete control room architecture.
What role does KVM play in control room planning?
KVM determines how operators access sources, computers and applications. In modern planning, KVM over IT, Barco CTRL, classic KVM matrix systems and IT security requirements are assessed early, so that operation, redundancy and maintenance do not become a problem later.
Why must ergonomics be considered at the planning stage?
Control rooms are often used in shift operation and over many years. Seating position, viewing angle, monitor distances, lighting, acoustics and operating routes directly affect concentration, fatigue and the risk of error. Ergonomics is therefore not a comfort issue, but a matter of operational reliability.
Which industries is this planning service suitable for?
Typical areas of application are energy utilities, traffic management centres, security centres, industry, data centres, NOC/SOC, public safety, water management, motorsport and other mission-critical 24/7 environments in Austria and the DACH region.
What distinguishes controlrooms from a pure technology supplier?
controlrooms takes responsibility as a single-source provider and system integrator: analysis, planning, Barco visualisation, KVM, furniture, ergonomics, project management, commissioning and service are coordinated from a single source. This reduces interface risks and creates clear technical responsibility.