Macquarie University Law School Builds the Courtroom of the Future with the Support of Sennheiser
9 September 2026
Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 and SpeechLine Digital Wireless solutions enable flexible, intuitive and immersive learning throughout the Michael Kirby Building.
Sydney, Australia, 10 September 2026 – Macquarie University Law School is redefining the modern learning environment with flexible, technology-enabled teaching spaces. Within its Michael Kirby Building, Sennheiser audio solutions, installed by Concept AV Australia, deliver exceptional speech intelligibility and seamless collaboration for staff and students.
Designed to support in-person, remote, real-time and asynchronous learning, the building’s audiovisual systems reflect the Law School’s long-standing ambition to be a “different kind of law school”. Sennheiser’s TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphones and SpeechLine Digital Wireless systems play a central role in delivering clear, reliable audio across the building’s Moot Court and Active Learning Studios.
The result is an environment where technology supports contemporary teaching and collaboration while remaining intuitive for students and staff.
Founded in 1972, Macquarie University Law School has built its reputation around progressive teaching and learning practices. That commitment is reflected in the Michael Kirby Building, named after eminent Australian jurist and former High Court Justice Michael Kirby.
Constructed on the foundations of the original Law School building, the 8,600-square-metre facility centres around an impressive timber atrium. Surrounding it are lecture theatres, specialist teaching and learning spaces, academic offices, the Law Commons for student study and collaboration, and a purpose-built Moot Court.
Planning and construction took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, influencing how the university approached the design of its learning environments.
“Flexibility was key,” says Adrian Caltabiano, Customer Solutions Specialist at Concept AV Australia. “The AV systems had to support traditional approaches to teaching while also being agile and adaptable enough for students to participate remotely, in real time and through the university’s capture and replay platform. All of that flexibility also had to be easy and intuitive for students and staff to operate.”
Bringing the courtroom experience to life
The Moot Court is a space where students can participate in scenarios that closely simulate real-world court proceedings.
Its AV systems serve two important purposes: to provide a hands-on experience of the technology that students might encounter in contemporary courtrooms across Australia, and to facilitate practice sessions and participation in international mooting competitions.
Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC 2) beamforming ceiling microphones were installed in the Moot Court to provide clear audio capture throughout the space without restricting how participants move or interact.
Each TCC 2 uses an advanced algorithm to process the sound received by 28 microphone capsules to create dynamic pickup beams that automatically focus on and follow the person speaking. This enables students, lecturers and remote participants to hear proceedings clearly, while helping to minimise distracting background and non-speech noise.
Because the microphones are ceiling-mounted, the room remains free from unnecessary tabletop equipment, helping preserve the authenticity and flexibility of the courtroom environment.
Connecting audio and video automatically
The Moot Court also uses Sennheiser SpeechLine Digital Wireless microphones for those who prefer a handheld or lapel microphone.
Designed specifically for speech and presentation environments, the SpeechLine Digital Wireless delivers high speech intelligibility while simplifying ongoing operation. Effort required to install and maintain is minimised by Automatic Frequency Management, which scans for available free channels during setup, while Automatic Interference Management can move the system to another channel if interference is detected.
To capture images of the Moot Court proceedings, Q-SYS PTZ cameras are used.
Talker position data provided by the TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphones can be used to drive the Q-SYS Automatic Camera Preset Recall plug-in, enabling the cameras to move automatically towards the active speaker.
This integration creates a more natural experience for remote participants and recorded sessions, with the audiovisual system responding dynamically as different people contribute to proceedings.
Together, the ceiling and wireless microphone systems give staff and students the flexibility to select the format most appropriate for each session.
Supporting active and collaborative learning
Within the Michael Kirby Building, three Active Learning Studios have been designed to advance Macquarie Law School’s commitment to innovation and support the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) pedagogical approach, which encourages students to collaborate in smaller groups, examine practical scenarios and develop solutions collectively.
As in the Moot Court, TCC 2 ceiling microphones capture discussion from the learning pods, helping ensure students can participate clearly in recorded, remote and hybrid sessions. A desktop charging dock also provides access to a SpeechLine Digital Wireless microphone for instructors.
The setup allows educators to move naturally throughout the room, engage with different student groups and lead discussions without being constrained by fixed microphone positions.
Technology that stays out of the way
Complementing the highly sophisticated audiovisual design with a simple and intuitive user experience was key.
Students and staff needed to be able to enter a room, begin a class or session and use the technology without requiring specialist support.
“Everything is performing really well, day in and day out,” says David Manna, Technical Officer within Macquarie University’s Faculty of Arts.
“Students and staff using the rooms find the AV technology easy to use. They enjoy being in these spaces day after day.”
For Concept AV, the positive response reflects the importance of combining considered design with dependable technology partners.
“The Michael Kirby Building was a landmark project for Macquarie University and also for Concept AV,” says Andrew Squillaciotti, Operations Manager at Concept AV Australia.
“We’re pleased to have delivered a complex project that students and staff find easy to use. I’m proud of what our installation team achieved, and I’m confident that with technology partners like Sennheiser, we can continue to deliver positive outcomes for Macquarie University and our other clients.”
A flexible foundation for the future
The Michael Kirby Building demonstrates how integrated audiovisual technology can support new models of teaching without adding unnecessary complexity for users.
By combining intelligent ceiling microphones, wireless audio and automated camera control, Macquarie University Law School has created spaces that can adapt to traditional teaching, active learning, hybrid participation and realistic courtroom simulations.
Supported by Sennheiser solutions and Concept AV Australia, the university has further strengthened its reliable and flexible audiovisual foundation for the next generation of legal education.
Ends
About the Sennheiser brand
We live and breathe audio. We are driven by the passion to create audio solutions that make a difference. Building the future of audio and bringing remarkable sound experiences to our customers – this is what the Sennheiser brand has represented for more than 75 years. While professional audio solutions such as microphones, meeting solutions, streaming technologies and monitoring systems are part of the business of Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG, the business with consumer devices such as headphones, soundbars and speech-enhanced hearables is operated by Sonova Holding AG under the license of Sennheiser.
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