When students at Miami University of Ohio in Oxford, Ohio, want to grab a bite to eat or catch up between classes, they head to the Commons, a dining and gathering space within the new Armstrong Student Center, which opened last year. The Commons, a large, open space with tiered seating for more than 450 students, is surrounded by a variety of dining facilities, including a 1950s-style diner that serves up burgers, fries, shakes and other student favorites 24 hours a day.
When designing the space, lead architect William Rawn Associates Architects Inc., Boston, wanted an acoustical ceiling that would control noise in the busy dining area and add visual interest to the space. “Acoustics was important so we could keep the noise from bouncing around in the space, but we also wanted something that would create interest in a place where people wanted to be,” says Samantha Delabar, senior interior designer at
BHDP Architecture, the Columbus, Ohio, firm that served as associate architect on the project.
The design team wanted the 2,300-square-foot ceiling to be made from metal because of its durability and longevity. “Due to the high volume of the space, we wanted something that would last a long time and require very little maintenance,” adds Delabar. The ceiling also had to be 100 percent downward accessible to provide easy access to the mechanicals in the plenum.
The design concept called for a metal ceiling that resembled a cascade of wave-shaped ribbons suspended above the dining area. Working with the You Inspire solutions center at Armstrong Ceiling and Wall Systems, Lancaster, Pa., the design team was able to specify a custom metal ceiling that met its design criteria.
Customizing the Curves
The result was an Armstrong MetalWorks RH215 Faceted Custom Ceiling System installed on a curved suspension system above the dining area. “They wanted the ceiling to have a curved visual-a ribbon visual,” says Brian Witmyer, Armstrong project manager. “They thought this project would require curved panels, but we were able to achieve the curved visual using flat panels. Instead, we curved the suspension system and installed the flat Metalworks RH215 panels as a faceted curve. There is also a slightly better manufacturing cost advantage to using this ceiling system with flat panels and they can be a bit easier to install than curved panels.”
The wave-shaped ribbons were created by installing rows of 12-inch by 56-inch white steel ceiling panels with matching trim on a suspension system customized with a series of convex and concave curves. “We wanted the ceiling to complement the activity going on in the space,” explains Delabar, “and the visual movement of the different waves accomplishes that.”
In the Galleria, a long, two-story corridor adjacent to the dining area, 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. In this case, they chose a barrel vault design arcing in one large curve above the corridor.
After examining the design intent for the 6,900-square-foot ceiling, the team from Armstrong realized that the barrel vault visual could also be created using a MetalWorks RH215 Faceted Custom Ceiling System. “Again, in this case, the panels are flat, but the grid is customized to give the illusion of a curve or vaulted-type visual,” explains Witmyer.
The barrel vault design was created by installing rows of 18-inch by 118-inch white steel ceiling panels on a curved suspension system above the corridor. “The curvilinear shape and reflectiveness of the vaulted white ceiling helps bounce the natural light from the windows back down into the space,” says Delabar. “We wanted to use something with a larger scale due to the volume of the space. Aesthetically and architecturally, the larger-size panels complement the space.”
To control acoustics in these two cavernous spaces, the metal ceiling panels are microperforated and backed with an acoustical fleece, giving them a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) of 0.65. “In spaces this large where students gather and people walk back and forth, these metal ceilings provide the necessary acoustical control without the presence of visible perforations,” says Delabar.
Working with ceiling contractor Valley Interior Systems (VIS), Cincinnati, the Armstrong team visited the site frequently to provide the support needed to ensure a successful installation. While VIS faced a number of challenges installing the faceted metal ceiling system above the dining area, the ceiling contractor was very pleased with the result. “The custom wave system is one of the most beautiful metal ceiling systems I have ever seen in this business for 32 years,” says Steve Erhart, VIS field superintendent. “This is one very sharp-looking system.”
Armstrong Student Center, Miami University of Ohio, Oxford, Ohio
Award: 2015 Gold Construction Excellence Award in the Ceilings category for the Central Region from the Ceilings and Interior Systems Construction Association (CISCA)
Lead architect: William Rawn Associates Architects Inc., Boston
Associate architect: BHDP Architecture, Columbus, Ohio
Ceiling contractor: Valley Interior Systems (VIS), Cincinnati
Metal ceiling panels: Armstrong Ceiling and Wall Systems, Lancaster, Pa., www.armstrong.com/commceilingsna
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Nathan Baxter is marketing manager, architectural specialties, at Armstrong Ceiling and Wall Systems in Lancaster, Pa. To learn more, visit www.armstrong.com/commceilingsna or call (877) ARMSTRONG.