Dancing on the ceiling
WORDS Prue MillerThere is a magic involved
in a ceiling that says one
thing and does another.
Contemporary ceilings
have storeys of stories
where each and every
one is a page turner.
The shiplap is a tight panel of broad strips,
while the slatted ceiling system is available in
varying densities, with straight slat lines from
solid profiles with coverage as small as 16mm
and spacing to suit any design – tweaked by
the infinite choice of background colours.
With Innoceil the batons click onto a
suspended carrier, creating a lightweight
structure which can be a critical feature
where load bearing is an issue. The overall
effect has the emotional warmth of timber,
in shades as pale as Lily White to the depths
of Kiwi Black or Ebony.
In an educational setting, the value of the
emotional notes created by building products
should not be underestimated.
Biophilic design in education has been
recognised as a having a positive coercive
effect on learning, related to the biophilia
hypothesis that people, especially kids thrive
when connected to nature. Further research
also suggests a link between the natural
resource and lowered cortisol levels and
associated stress.
BVN has recently won awards for the Knut
Menden-led Our Lady of Assumption Catholic
Primary School, in which timber plays a major
role. However, it is timber used with a clear
conscience.
According to the design statement “OLA is
a model for sustainability through its innovations
in construction by using engineered timber. The
additions to the school feature Glulam, cross
laminated timber walls and a CLT acoustic
ceiling flooring system.”
The system chosen by Menden, whose previous
educational projects include the haunting, lightfilled Ravenswood design, was the Lignotrend
Acoustic ceilings and Lignotrend Rippe/Block
CLT prefabricated slabs with the same finish as
the acoustic ceiling.
The end result has received rave reviews
from fully grown people as well as those not
yet fully formed.The SOunD Of leaRningThe Taronga Institute of Science and
Learning is another example of the educative
experience in design. Australia’s most famous
zoo’s learning building had a multitude of roles
to fulfil, including crowds of kids visiting at
the same time that serious research is being
carried out. The multi-level, open plan space
features various ceiling finishes, all of which
had acoustic criteria to reach.
Keystone Linings and Acoustics supplied
product for the zoological zone, including a long
grain birch plywood lining in the education
areas, that has satisfied acoustic
and design benchmarks. Their Key-Ply range
is perforated or slotted plywood, which comes
in a range of elegant timber looks, as well
metallic and pearl effects all of which offer
excellent acoustic properties.
Where sound is a major issue, USG Boral
offers products that satisfy the problem,
including the perforated plasterboard range
Echostops which has NRC ratings of up to
0.80, and acoustic ceiling tiles reaching an
NRC of 0.95.
A star in their current range of acoustic
ceiling systems is Ensemble which comes in a
smooth profile, rather than the more commonThis advance in design reflects the growing
scope of adaptive materials and advances in
fixing systems.
Ceiling panels, once the unstable camouflage
for overhead wiring, and HVAC systems now
offer sleek profiles that while delivering the
same necessary service, also enhance the space
in many other ways.
Timber products – frequently seen as veneers,
have become an art form. While the finished
profile is enormously variable, a common theme
of spaced timber batons invisibly attached to
various backgrounds, is a backbone design.
Plus, many producers offer quick installation,
which is always a positive, but perhaps never
more so than in healthcare where pressure for
completion has added immediacy.
The Innowood InnoCeil range offers a wide
choice of profiles that produce an elegant finish
using hidden fixing systems or suspended grid
fixing systems.Architecture & design /PRaCTiCal/ jul-seP 201952ADQ3_052_055_Ceilings_V3.indd 52 26/7/19 5:17 pm