It only took 12 months for Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tenn., to open its new Fine Arts Center. By relying on a team of design and construction partners, the project met all of its aesthetic and acoustic goals while staying on schedule and budget.
“Our goal was to create a little gem for the high school campus. We wanted this to be a showpiece, with lots of natural light and upgraded finishes,” says Angie Lyon, project architect with KBJM Architects, Mount Juliet, Tenn. “I didn’t want a traditional flat ceiling. My vision was for a feeling of movement, something that would draw the eye. CurvGrid is fluid and dynamic.”
For the project, KBJM utilized Chicago-based Chicago Metallic Corp.’s CurvGrid Two-Directional Aluminum Suspension System with flexible metal panels in Morning Dew. The panels’ soft, metallic gold color complements the Fine Arts Center’s interior palette of warm golds and yellows. Wallace Tile Inc., Chattanooga, Tenn., installed Chicago Metallic’s 1200 Seismic Suspension System to help create the center’s floating ceiling sections that house the acoustic panels. The sections have a stepped perimeter for visual effect and Infinity Perimeter Trim for a crisp, clean look.
“We had a very tight frame for completing this project,” notes Cason Conn, project manager for Cleveland-based general contractor TRI-CON Inc. “We had to condense the schedule and that meant the auditorium seats needed to be installed prior to the ceiling system going in. As a result, scaffolding could not be erected for the ceiling installation. That presented quite a challenge for Wallace Tile.”
Seth Bussey, vice president of Wallace Tile, worked with Carlo Grohovac, Chicago Metallic’s district sales manager, to develop an alternate installation plan, which required the CurvGrid sections to be assembled on the ground, connected into pods, hoisted to the ceiling by a lift and then connected in the air. In all, five 8- by 25-foot pods were assembled and installed.
“Once we got the idea of how the puzzle went together, it was very easy to install,” says Bussey. “We got faster all the time. The system is very user-friendly, and Chicago Metallic did a great job in helping us work this out.”
“The innovative assembly process, and CurvGrid’s combination of rigidity and light weight, made this possible,” Grohovac says. “Everyone was pleased with the results,” adds Grohovac. “The ceiling’s beautifully curved clouds seem to float and dance in a performance of their own.”
The 25,000-square-foot Fine Arts Center houses a 600-seat auditorium with new lighting and sound systems, dressing rooms, separate band and choral rooms and classrooms, plus a lobby and gathering space. The school was able to celebrate the $3.3 million center’s grand opening on schedule with a baccalaureate service for the glass of 2011’s graduating seniors.
Fine Arts Center, Bradley Central High School, Cleveland, Tenn.
Award: 2011 Construction Excellence Gold Award from the Ceilings & Interior Systems Construction Association
Owner: Bradley County Schools, Cleveland
Architect: KBJM Architects Inc., Mount Juliet, Tenn.
General contractor: TRI-CON Inc., Cleveland
Installer: Wallace Tile Inc., Chattanooga, Tenn.
Metal ceiling tiles: Chicago Metallic Corp., Chicago, www.chicagometallic.com
