The design flexibility of metal enables designers to achieve ceilings, which offer dramatic visual impact. From commercial office buildings to airport terminals, railway stations to shopping centers, metal ceilings have become the preferred design solution offering specifiers unlimited scope and possibilities while at the same achieving the required acoustic, thermal, fire and lighting requirements.
Integrated ceiling panels play a crucial role in Bloomberg’s European headquarters
The malleability of metal means that even the most ambitious of designs can be made a reality. Metal ceilings give the designer curved, trapezoidal, waveform and even multifaceted options. Offering cool, sleek designs which can be shaped to reflect, complement or heighten a building’s identity, metal is a go-to ceiling material for developers wanting to put their unique stamp on a project.
Pushing the Boundaries of Design
Metal allows architects the freedom to work in a material that offers performance and durability alongside aesthetics. However, it allows for far more than this. For example, take the petal leaf ceiling in the Foster + Partners, London, designed Bloomberg European headquarters building in London—the world’s most sustainable office. The Integrated Ceiling Panels (ICPs) combine acoustics, lighting and ambient temperature control. This played a crucial part in the building achieving a BREEAM Outstanding rating.
Sustainability was an overarching objective for Michael Bloomberg from day one. He insisted on a considerate design from an architectural and performance perspective. For Reading, England-based metal ceiling manufacturer SAS International’s Special Projects team—which oversaw the design, manufacture and eventual installation of the scheme on-site—this was a truly collaborative project and one that saw the company deliver 24,000m2 of SAS product.
The stunning petal-shaped ceiling is aesthetically striking and plays a significant part in a building that pushes the boundaries of sustainability. In total, 3,916 ICPs were manufactured and installed with an impressive 2.5 million petals attached to them.
The petal shape is not just an architectural feature; it has been optimized by specialist software modelling to give the best possible acoustic, thermal and light reflecting performance. The sculpted shape maximizes surface area to improve heat exchange and optimizes airflow to maximize convection. The slots allow air to pass through, which also improves performance. In short, and from a temperature control perspective, the design exceeds Category A Thermal comfort, the highest level achievable for an office.
In terms of lighting, the role that LED lighting takes is a lesson in efficiency and sustainable design. The ICPs feature 500,000 LED lights and use 40 percent less energy than a typical office design. Due to the number of LEDs used, they run significantly below maximum output for the required light levels. They are even more efficient when cooled and operate with an increased life expectancy. The cumulative effect is an incredibly efficient design, consuming significantly less energy than is typical in office space.
Acoustically, the design of the metal ceiling performs exceptionally well. The slotted petals and the perforations mean that the surface is sufficiently open to allow enough sound to come through to the mineral wool behind. Tested to Class A absorption levels, the ceiling impressively and precisely manages acoustic reverberation across the open plan offices. The ceiling is a first for the UK, if not globally, and unlikely to be achieved in any other material. Commenting on the project, Foster + Partners’ Michael Jones says, “Without the ceiling the sustainability wouldn’t be what it is.”
When it comes to metal as a material for ceilings there are virtually no limits to what can be achieved; it is possible to turn an imaginative concept into a colorful and truly inspired design. By working closely with manufacturers such as SAS International, there is an opportunity to bring an architect’s vision to reality.
John Spicer is the technical manager at SAS International, Reading, England. For more information, visit sasintgroup.com.