Understanding Code-Compliant Integrated Ceiling Solutions
Design Details: Acoustics in Flexible Building Design
Increased building flexibility and adaptive reuse over the life of a structure are not only hallmarks of modern design, they are sustainable strategies. While traditional design practices focused on development, commercial buildings focused on developing nonintrusive, moderate distraction zones and confidential spaces, today’s flexible designs think of end users of spaces based on needs of today’s workers: focus, collaboration, and confidentiality. Demountable partitions, open offices, and the ability to expand and contract footprints as needed lend flexibility but can severely complicate a designer’s job to match the best-performing ceiling panels to the changing clients needs.
Nowhere is this more true than in the ability to meet the acoustical needs within this new design approach. Today’s flexible spaces call for the ability to concentrate one minute and to collaborate the next.
The Gensler 2013 U.S. Workplace Survey showed that excessive noise at the office reduces worker effectiveness, raises stress, and lowers employee satisfaction, as verified by the Center for the Built Environment.
Image: Jensen, K., and E. Arens, 2004. Acoustic Quality in Office Workstations, as Assessed by Occupant Surveys. Proceedings, Indoor Air 2005, Sept. 4–9, Beijing, China.
Today’s open-plan areas can become tomorrow’s closed-plan areas, making both absorption (NRC) and blocking (CAC) important for not only current, but also future space flexibility. Understanding how to design for acoustics in today’s flexible interiors takes on new importance because traditional acoustical recommendations are not always compatible with today’s performance requirements.
Acoustic comfort means an acoustic environment that provides:
• speech intelligibility for clear communications and safety;
• speech privacy for confidentiality;
• low distractions and annoyance for a nonintrusive work space.
Advances in ceiling panel technology allow one ceiling panel to be installed across all spaces to provide both high sound absorption and sound blocking. Ceiling panels featuring a more comprehensive acoustics performance, offering the ideal combination of both sound absorption (NRC greater than 0.60) and sound blocking (CAC of 35 or greater). Installing a single ceiling panel with performance that controls both types of auditory distractions results in increased use flexibility and increased occupant comfort.
Custom Ceiling Capabilities Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee, North Carolina
The Design Need: Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort completed a major expansion and renovation. As part of the facility’s new look, the Cunningham Group design team was searching for a way to draw attention to the casino’s high-limit slots area.
The Solution: To attain the “wow factor” the design team desired, it created a large abstract tree in the center of the area’s gaming space. According to the architect Scott Krenner, “Cuningham Group believes that every building tells a story. The story here is a walk through the Great Smoky Mountains. As a result, we decided to create a woodland setting in this area, but with a much more modern interpretation.”
Measuring 60 feet across and 18 feet high, the massive, eye-catching tree was created using acoustical clouds. While they are offered in 14 standard colors and 10 standard shapes, custom shapes, sizes, and colors were also available.
At Harrah’s, the design team used standard 4-foot by 4-foot hexagons to represent the tree branches, while custom shapes and sizes were used for the trunk and transition from the trunk to the canopy. The branches feature standard colors; the trunk and transition are custom colors. Color-changing lights shine on the tree from below for added effect. In addition to aesthetics, Krenner notes that acoustics were also important part of the design.
Photos courtesy of Armstrong Commercial Ceiling Solutions
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee, North Carolina Cunningham Group, Minneapolis, Minnesota Hexagon and custom clouds in custom colors
Standard Product Capabilities Enable Unique Looks on Tighter Budgets
When your design calls for a signature space with a custom look, but your budget is tight, many standard capabilities are available from ceiling providers to help you achieve a unique design. In the Harrah’s case study, standard 4-foot by 4-foot hexagons panels were used to represent the branches, supplemented by special sizes and shapes of panels for the trunk and transition to the canopy. This could have been done in a specific color, coordinated with other interior furnishings, or been taller plank-like panels. So, from a nonstandard panel size or shape to a special color, veneer, or perforation, many options are available to help you meet both your budget and design goals. From options in metal, wood, mineral fiber, and fiberglass to different shapes and forms, ceiling to wall transitions, sloped ceilings, faceted installations, canopies, clouds, blades, and baffles, there are ways deliver your vision and address your budget and construction schedule. Additionally, Revit and CAD details are often readily available for all standard products used in custom ways.
Custom Ceiling Capabilities Westfield Santa Anita, Arcadia, California Westfield Design & Construction
The Design Need: With the completion of a multi-million-dollar revitalization, Westfield Santa Anita promised a refreshed and sophisticated shopping, dining, and entertainment experience for its guests. The centerpiece of the revitalization is a sophisticated Center Court, which serves as a meeting place for the entire mall. When designing the space, lead architect John Reistetter envisioned a new living room environment that would draw visitors to the 41,500-square-foot Center Court. Reistetter wanted to include an architectural element that would reduce the scale of the exposed 80-foot ceiling. “We needed a second ceiling layer-something that would bring the ceiling closer to the floor-while allowing transparency to the clerestory windows in the existing ceiling.”
The Solution: The solution was a custom metal baffle ceiling system installed in two runs on each side of the Center Court. Designed to resemble an open trellis, each run of the white vertical panels is roughly 226-feet long and 26-feet wide. The panels are 12 inches high and 23⁄8 inches deep with 3-foot vertical returns at each end. They are installed approximately 16 inches apart on center at a height 45 feet above the floor. Prior to installation, ceiling contractor Martin Integrated designed a drywall suspension system that complied with the load-carrying and seismic requirements for the area. “We had to build vertical faces out of the drywall grid and brace them to control movement of the panels,” explains Owner Marty Hovivian. “During an earthquake, the ceiling moves left to right. The vertical face provides the seismic control needed to keep the panels from breaking free during seismic activity.” The design team was pleased with the result, describing the ceiling treatment as one of the most successful elements of the overall project. “The ceiling system aesthetically defines the way we wanted the space to appear,” says Reistetter. “It breaks down the overall volume of the Center Court, while allowing illumination and providing contrast to the darkly painted existing ceiling. It creates an ambience and makes the space feel more intimate.”
Photo courtesy of Armstrong Commercial Ceiling Solutions
Santa Anita Mall, Arcadia, California Westfield Design & Construction, Arcadia, California Custom metal baffle system
Custom Ceiling Capabilities Armstrong Student Center at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio BHDP Architecture, Columbus, Ohio
The Design Need: The Armstrong Student Center at Miami University is designed to provide the 16,000 students with a home of their own on campus. One of the signature spaces within the Student Center is The Commons, a dining and gathering place with tiered seating for more than 450 students. When designing the space, the design team wanted a ceiling that would create visual interest and control acoustics in the large, open space. “We wanted to create interest in a place where people wanted to be,” says design team member Samantha Delabar. “Acoustics was also important so we could keep the noise from bouncing around in the space.” Acoustics also played a role in the design of the Galleria, a long, two-story corridor adjacent to the dining area. Here, the design team wanted a ceiling that would control noise in the busy walkway, while reflecting light from the exterior windows back into the space.
The Solution: In both spaces, the design team addressed all these criteria with two custom metal ceiling designs created in collaboration with the ceiling manufacturer. The design team chose a wave-shaped ribbon design for the 2,300-foot ceiling above the dining area. The wave-shaped ribbons were created by suspending rows of 12-inch by 56-inch white metal ceiling panels on a curved suspension system. Each wave is enclosed by field-cut pieces of white metal trim. For the 6,900-foot ceiling above the Galleria, the design team chose a barrel vault design. The vaulted ceiling was created by suspending 18-inch by 105-inch white metal ceiling panels on a curved suspension system above the corridor. “The curvilinear shape and reflective finish on the vaulted white ceiling helps bounce the natural light from the windows back down into the space,” says Delabar. Perforated and backed with acoustical fleece, both custom ceiling systems have an NRC of 0.65, absorbing 65 percent of the sound that strikes them. “In spaces this large, where student’s gather and people walk back and forth, these metal ceilings provide the necessary acoustical control for the space,” she adds.
Photos courtesy of Armstrong Commercial Ceiling Solutions
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio BHDP Architecture, Columbus, Ohio and William Rawn Associates, Boston, Massachusetts Custom barrel vault metal ceiling system in a barrel vault orientation
