Identical twins can often have very different personalities. The same can be said for a pair of schools in Spartanburg County, S.C. Newly constructed Lyman Elementary School, Lyman, S.C., and Abner Creek Elementary School, Duncan, S.C., both in the county’s District Five, are identical in terms of layout and floor plan. However, walk into the cafetorium and media center of each and you would never know it.
One reason is two distinctly different metal ceiling designs top off each of these public spaces. The eye-catching Lyman ceilings feature a series of narrow arches that radiate left to right, while the Abner Creek ceilings feature a series of overlapping ceiling planes that radiate front to back and create the effect of one large arch.
Dramatic and Different
Opened in fall 2008, each of the 92,000-square-foot (8,547-m2) schools houses 700 students in kindergarten through fourth grade. According to project architect Brian Deichman of Spartanburg-based McMillan, Smith & Partners Architects, creating a unique identity for each school was a key goal.
“We’ve designed schools for the district before and used ceilings and other architectural elements to provide each with its own identity, especially in public spaces,” Deichman said. “And we’ve used curved ceilings in the past, but they were usually created using traditional mineral fiber acoustical lay-in tiles.”
When it came to the new Lyman and Abner Creek schools, however, Deichman and project designer Norberto Gliozzi decided it was time for a change.
“We wanted to do something different,” Gliozzi said. “We wanted to add an attractive and dramatic new visual that would be unique to each school and really differentiate them.
“Metal ceilings cost a little more initially, but they require very little maintenance and are very durable. As a result, they have a very long service life and will not have to be replaced for quite a while.”
Metal’s Role
Chosen for use in the Lyman ceilings was a MetalWorksDH700 Custom Faceted Ceiling System from Armstrong Ceilings, Lancaster, Pa. Made from 0.028-inch- (0.7-mm-) thick electrogalvanized steel, the Lyman system features 16-inch- (406-mm-) wide planks in different lengths, depending on their position in the spaces.
The ceiling in the 5,100-square-foot (474-m2) Lyman cafetorium consists of 11 arches with a 39-foot (12-m) radius. Gaps between the arches allow for the placement of light fixtures, while the gypsum board surface above the arches is painted black for additional dramatic visual effect.
The ceiling in the 4,000-square-foot (372-m2) Lyman media center consists of only eight arches but with a tighter 32-foot (10-m) radius because the space is narrower. Because the space is smaller and air demand not as high, diffusers are placed in the side walls, compared to the slot diffusers placed in the ceiling arches in the cafetorium.
For the Abner Creek ceilings, the design team selected MetalWorks Vector panels from Armstrong. These 2- by 2-foot (0.6- by 0.6-m) panels are also made from electrogalvanized steel but are only 0.021 of an inch
(0.5 mm) thick. The Vector edge detail produces a sleek 1/4-inch
(6-mm) reveal that minimizes the visible grid, creating a ceiling that is more monolithic in appearance than ordinary suspended ceilings.
The ceiling in the Abner Creek cafetorium is comprised of six overlapping ceiling planes, each of which measures 10 feet (3 m) wide by 76 feet (23 m) long, while the media center ceiling also consists of six 10-foot-wide overlapping planes that are only 60 feet (18 m) long. Like Lyman, air diffusers are placed in the side walls in the media center and in the ceiling in the cafetorium.
The ceilings in both schools are oriented to complement the arch of the stage in the cafetoriums and the clerestory windows in the media centers. In addition, three shades of blue were selected for the metal ceilings in both schools.
While aesthetics played an important role in the design of the ceilings, acoustics was another consideration. “Good acoustics in the media centers were required since they function as libraries,” Deichman explained. “And, while they do not require concert hall acoustics, the cafetoriums are used for student performances, and we wanted to make sure there were no echoes. Noise control during lunch periods was also a factor.”
To achieve the desired acoustic environment, the metal ceiling planks and panels are perforated and backed by an acoustical fleece. The perforations are nearly invisible, yet they allow the ceilings to achieve a Noise Reduction Coefficient of 0.65, meaning they absorb 65 percent of the sound that strikes them.
Reaction Has Been Positive
Deichman noted that while there was some hesitation about using metal ceilings in the beginning, reaction has all been positive from the school district, staff and parents alike.
“Aesthetically, the ceilings are definitely one of the more dramatic architectural features of each school,” he said. “Their acoustics, low maintenance and long service life also add to their appeal. Plus, the overall project came in within budget, including the use of the metal ceilings.”
Lyman Elementary School and Abner Creek Elementary School, Spartanburg County, S.C.
Architect: McMillan, Smith & Partners Architects, Spartanburg, S.C.
Ceiling installer: Bonitz Contracting Co., Greenville, S.C.
General contractor (Abner Creek Elementary): Martin Engineering of White Rock,
S.C.
General contractor (Lyman Elementary): Melloul-Blamey, Greenville
Metal ceiling system: Armstrong Ceilings, Lancaster, Pa.
