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Armstrong Ceilings set to debut virtual reality education experience

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The debut will take place at two near-future education exhibitions.

Armstrong Ceilings is following up the launch of a new education brochure by exhibiting at a brace of education shows this term.

The leading UK manufacturer will debut a virtual reality ceiling installation in a classroom at the Education Estates exhibition at Manchester Central from October 16th to 17th (stand G11) and at the Education Buildings exhibition at Edinburgh International Conference Centre from November 21st to 22nd (stand B9).

On the Armstrong stand, users of the new VR experience will find themselves transported to a typical classroom setting which has not been acoustically treated. Amidst the students, they will hear for themselves how typical classroom noise and clatter effects intelligibility and acoustic comfort.

Finally, the user will personally experience the acoustical transformation of the learning environment through the installation of a typical classroom ceiling system solution, using Ultima+ acoustic tiles (the first mineral ceiling tile range in Europe to win Cradle to Cradle™ certification), Blind Boxes, Axiom transitions, and Prelude 24 TLS suspension system .

It makes it easy to see why 65% of teachers in a London South Bank University survey reported voice problems during their career – a point the VR experience also makes as well as the fact that up to 30% of what is said in classrooms is missed due to extraneous noise. The presentation also shows that a high light-reflecting ceiling can also help with eye strain and fatigue.

Designed for specifiers to experience for themselves how to create a better and more sustainable learning environment, whether it is new-build or refurbishment, the VR experience will be joined on stand by the new education brochure and demonstrations of Armstrong’s online selector tool. This advises specifiers on the well-being requirements for a variety of school rooms including auditoriums, classrooms, gyms, cafes, lobbies and corridors.

Case studies on the use of Armstrong solutions at UK schools including Ystalyfera Welsh Medium Comprehensive School in South Wales, Royal Holloway University of London and Parsons Tower at Newcastle College, will also be featured.

More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/.
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Armstrong Ceilings announces winner of “New beginnings” competition

A community project in West Yorkshire wins the prize – a new Dune eVo ceiling.

Some two months after launching its #eVoNewBeginnings competition to donate a new ceiling to a voluntary or charitable organisation, Armstrong Ceilings is helping residents of one West Yorkshire town to scratch a seven-year itch.

For the winner of its competition is The Space Field Lane – a £480,000 project to renovate a former community centre on the Field Lane estate in Rastrick that has lain empty for seven years.

The prize is up to 250m2 of Dune eVo tiles and grid plus up to three days of free installation by a member of Armstrong’s national network of approved Omega installers

Choosing a winner from all the entries however was a painstaking task, literally, for the three judges – Sara Rees, head of fundraising at the Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity, Armstrong’s chosen charity for 2018, Graham Taylor, Armstrong’s sales director, and Sara Carter, Armstrong’s HR director.

The Space Field Lane project was entered by its architect Neil Hardacre of Pickles Architecture in Brighouse.

A group of community volunteers has been working together for several years to bring about a ‘new beginning’ to the former community centre at the heart of the Field Lane Estate in Rastrick in West Yorkshire.

It has been closed for seven years and the estate is desperately short of a facility where its community can come together. The project aims to bring about activities for all generations, opportunities for socialising at the planned community café, and training and vital opportunities for the young people of the estate.

Group trustees have taken the building over from the council and have design plans in place to complete major refurbishment, including two big spaces which need new ceilings, lighting and so on. They were two thirds of the way towards the total funding of £480,000 required but have already had to scale back to make the project feasible.

The estimated cost for removal and replacement of the existing ceiling alone was £16,000 including VAT and fees so winning the Dune eVo ceiling would enable the group to add major value to other parts of the refurbishment, bringing back some of the other key enhancements they have had to forfeit.

In their entry trustee Mary Green said: “We have achieved so much already and are just ordinary people determined to make this happen. We have brought the building into our own hands, held consultation days and events, raised over £300,000 in grants and worked with a local project team to pull together the refurbishment plans.

“Winning this competition would not only provide us with precious practical and financial help but would be such a morale boost. To have encouragement and support from a business such as Armstrong Ceiling Solutions would be absolutely invaluable.

“Our project truly is a ‘new beginning’ for local residents, the estate and wider community who have come together to support the building becoming ‘The Space @ Field Lane- Our Space, Our Place” – a vibrant community hub. We really hope that a Dune eVo Armstrong ceiling will become an invaluable part of it.”

On hearing that they had won the competition, and the new Dune eVo ceiling, an ecstatic Mary added: “We are absolutely delighted. This is terrific news and a real morale booster to us as a team apart from the practical help that the prize will give to our project.

“It will be huge for the residents of the estate. They will be thrilled to bits that this opportunity has been given to our estate and our project. We have been working on this for so long now. We are almost there now.”

Architect Neil Hardaker, who heard about the competition through an Armstrong newsletter they subscribe to, said: “We are so pleased for the local charity to be awarded with a new ceiling from Armstrong. They really deserve this help.”

He added: Pickles Architecture are delighted to be involved with this community project and are happy to be working with the team.”

The other entries were Pilsley Church of England Primary School in Derbyshire, the 5th Boston Scout Group in Lincolnshire, Sunderland Mind, St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School in Gateshead, People Without Labels which occupies the oldest building in the East End of Glasgow, 1st Winlaton Scout Group in Blaydon-on-Tyne, Kingsmead school in Staffordshire, and Tiber Football Centre in Liverpool.

Rays of Sunshine’s Sara Rees said she was honoured to be asked to join the judges’ panel for what was an “excellent” initiative.

She added: “We were really impressed with the quality of the applications, so the judging process required some significant consideration and deliberation. The panel discussed each case in turn, assessing them against several measures including the context of the new ceiling, the impact on the local community, and the long-term legacy of the project.

“A big thank you to everyone who applied – they were all very deserving entries. There were a number of strong contenders but the overall winner demonstrated remarkable passion, commitment, resourcefulness, hard work and determination – a real example of ordinary people coming together in a community to achieve something extraordinary. I am excited about what is going to be achieved and can’t wait to see the outcome.”

Here are just some of all the judges’ comments about the winning project:

  • ‘Something from nothing’
  • ‘Not just an upgrade to something existing. Part of something brand new. Total transformation’
  • ‘People taking time out of their own lives to do something for the community. Felt like something really worthwhile supporting’
  • ‘The time and effort given to the submission was outstanding. Showed real passion for their pitch’
  • ‘We feel it would have a genuine impact on the community, for the long term’
  • ‘A group of ordinary people doing something extraordinary’
  • ‘A new beginning for local residents’
More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/.
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Bespoke wall panelling from Armstrong Ceilings helps Hackney to award-winning heights

Customised wall panels by Armstrong Ceiling Solutions have proved a key feature in the award-winning refurbishment of the Grade II listed Hackney Town Hall.

The folded bronze anodised aluminium panels were selected by regular Armstrong specifiers Hawkins\Brown architects for the end walls of two underused interior service courtyards that have been transformed into full-height multi-functional atria as part of the redevelopment.

The bespoke wall panels were custom perforated by laser into a pattern that mimics the original walls behind, including aged brickwork, Crittall windows, drain pipes and services. They serve to conceal new ducts linked to the smoke ventilation system and feature an acoustic fleece behind the panels to absorb sound.

Some 110m2 of the 1.5mm WH-1000 2m x 1m panels, which also feature a butterfly effect, where random perforations have been fabricated into “wings” to dapple the light, were installed by specialist Omega sub-contractor Roskel Contracts for main contractor Osborne onto a lightweight steel framing system on the walls at the eastern ends of the north and south atria.

These were complemented by anodised trough boxes containing continuous strips of LED lights at the top of each three-storey wall.

Hawkins/Brown associate director Chloe Marshall said “We wanted to choose a standard proprietary acoustic wall cladding system for which we could customise the perforation pattern and selected the W-H 1000 Armstrong product after advice from the representative that this would meet our performance requirements and design intent.”

Hawkins Brown then created two abstract images of each original windowed brick wall using the computer programme Grasshopper through which they programmed in the technical and aesthetic parameters and “plugged in” photographs.

“It was important to us that the perforation pattern could be customised to create a new feature within the rooms rather than a dominating plain rear wall. A bronzed finish was selected to link to the historic building materials of the 1930s interior and to interface well with the London Stock brickwork and painted steel structure of the new ETFE roof.”

Roskel director Alan Brown added: “The panels were perforated to individual patterns and when combined formed the overall image. The perforation pattern and anodised finish were new to Armstrong and proved challenging but the desired finish and visual effect were achieved.”

Built in 1937 to an Art Deco-style design by architects Lanchester and Lodge, Hackney Town Hall has been the subject of an exhaustive 12-year and 12,500m2 restoration and refurbishment programme throughout which it has remained fully open.

Previously shabby and in need of investment to create more office space, many of the building’s original Art Deco fittings and fixtures had been left intact, and this combined with a forward-thinking local authority, meant the planners were very open to new ideas and interventions, the Armstrong walls being just one of many elements.

In the new atria, the brickwork is topped by a continuous steel ring beam that supports the new ETFE roof spanned by secondary beams. The former service yard’s basement floor has been raised to ground-floor level to allow level access from the refurbished marriage suites which now open onto the new atria’s resin terrazzo floor.

Armstrong representative Alastair Wilson said: “The client’s requirement was for a tough, sustainable wall that had a unique look and was sympathetic with the building’s existing features. Hawkins\Brown worked with us to design the required solution. Armstrong was specified because of our approach, design concepts and ability to realise the vision required.”

As well as creating 66% more office space, the refurbishment of Hackney Town Hall, as part of a wider masterplan for the London Borough of Hackney, has made the building more energy efficient. During the programme of works 97% of waste was diverted from landfill.

Hackney Town Hall won a 2018 RIBA Award (London Part 2). The judges said: “This long-term, multi-phased conservation project is more than a refurbishment, as certain architectural moves have made significant improvements. These have generally been well-judged but the really impressive work has gone into the detailing. Nowhere has any cost or effort been spared so that the refurbishment has been carried out to the very highest standards. The overall detailing is impeccable and is the most rewarding aspect of the project.”

More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website.

Further information about the project is available via the Hawkins\Brown website.

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Data centre suspension system launched by Armstrong Ceilings

A suspension system specifically designed to meet the exacting requirements of data centres has been launched by Armstrong Ceiling Solutions.

The new Prelude® 24 Max™ grid provides excellent load carrying capability and adaptability, with an extremely efficient method of suspending cable trays, bus bars and other mechanical elements to avoid air leakage through the ceiling tiles.

In an environment where a constant, carefully calibrated temperature is a non-negotiable factor, the engineered system components provide the optimum conditions to avoid air leakage that could lead to overheating or spiralling cooling costs.

Traditional methods suspend loads via slotted strut locations or drill holes through ceiling tiles where threaded rods are needed and in doing so increase air leakage and the mix of warm and cold air. However, designing out these details means the hot return air is retained in the plenum space and the cool air below the ceiling.

The new suspension system is also capable of carrying single-point loads up to 110kgs and can be easily reconfigured to meet changing requirements.

Using M10 threaded rod connections and integrated hanging clips, the Prelude 24 Max provides flexible support for cable trays and electrical distribution without the need for a separate strut channel system being suspended through the ceiling tiles.

Patented load connector clips attach at any point to the face of the suspension system, eliminating unsightly threaded rod connections through the ceiling plane, improving access and aesthetics as well as minimising air infiltration.

The traditional-faced 24mm profile grid minimises materials costs and labour while still being compatible with numerous Armstrong board ceiling panels including Ultima+, Clean Room FL acoustic tiles as well as standard lighting elements.

The pre-engineered suspension system comes with a 30-year system warranty.

More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/.
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Armstrong launches its ultimate ceilings and walls guide

The ultimate guide to ceiling and wall solutions is now available from leading UK manufacturer Armstrong.

The company’s new Main Line Brochure makes it even easier for architects and designers to specify ceiling and wall solutions thanks to a simplified but inspiring layout.

The new catalogue illustrates with stunning architectural photography and technical drawings the interior solutions that help to enhance comfort, save time, improve building efficiency and overall
performance, and create beautiful spaces for office, education, health, retail and transport applications.

Available in 14 languages to reflect the company’s recently launched global website, the brochure guides specifiers through the myriad of design solutions available, from floating ceilings and suspension systems (including perimeter detailing and accessories), through materials such as mineral, metal, mesh and wood, to wall and special solutions for acoustic, healthcare and highly humid applications.

A product selector by performance helps specifiers to select the right systems for acoustics, light reflectance, fire reaction, humidity and recycled content, with Armstrong’s pioneering recycling programmes and best in class Cradle to Cradle credentials featuring in their own section of infographics.

The new comprehensive catalogue also advises on installation and maintenance, including a cleaning matrix, and offers a technical acoustical glossary as well as a route to Armstrong’s BIM files available through the new global website and BIMobject portal.

It is available to download via https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/commercial-ceilings-walls/product-catalogue.html#catViewer.
More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/.
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Scouts herald a “New Beginning”, thanks to Armstrong Ceiling Solutions’ Dune eVo tile

 

Ceiling systems from Armstrong, including a next-generation ultra-green tile, are helping to herald a new beginning for Scouts in one English county as part of Armstrong’s ‘New Beginnings’ initiative to support community projects by offering a “New Beginning” for their ceiling space.

Armstrong’s new Dune eVo tile, which is 100% recyclable and provides class-leading visuals and improved acoustic performance through a new surface which is both brighter and smoother, has been used alongside moisture-resistant Hydroboard in a new bunkhouse for Derbyshire Scouts.

The Cradle to Cradle™ accredited system comprising 190m2 of Dune eVo Tegular tiles on a Prelude 24mm grid with TLS cross tees features in the entrance, main hall and corridors of their 368m2 new bunkhouse, while the 56m2 of Hydroboard Tegular tiles feature with non-corrosive grid in the kitchen, shower rooms and toilets.

The various Armstrong Ceiling Solutions were specified by regular Armstrong users Maber architects and supplied free of charge by Armstrong as part of the company’s “New Beginnings” initiative.

This gives community projects like Drum Hill Scout bunkhouse the chance to give their ceiling space a “New Beginning” with Dune eVo – the next generation in ceiling tiles. At Drum Hill Scout Campsite, they were installed over weekends by specialist sub-contractor Peveril Interiors, a member of Armstrong’s approved Omega network of installers.

Lee Smith (pictured bottom left), associate director at Maber as well as a Scout Leader, said: “As a long-time specifier over the past 12 years working in architecture I trust and know the Armstrong product range will deliver what we want, giving us quality and robustness within our budget range.

“The Armstrong range gives us the acoustic and light reflectance values we need in the main hall to makes this a truly multi-functional space as a seminar space, play space, dining hall and whatever else it needs to meet the constantly fluid demands of the campsite. They fit seamlessly within the project to give us a modern and functional building.”

And specifically of Dune eVo, he said: “I’ve been aware of it for a few months now. I think it’s another advancement for the ceiling tile in terms of the specification and the acoustic delivery that we will get for spaces such as the main hall that we use for dining and activities all the way through to training seminars.”

Maber’s brief was in essence to replace the previous building, Birch Hall, which stood on the site. They took the best features of other buildings on the site and of other camp sites internationally to create a modern, state-of-the-art camping bunkhouse.

He added: “Firstly, we and members of the Scout campsite team used our connections to work with other professionals and tradespeople to find those who could help us. Through a collaborative design process we then designed a building which met the brief but was also future proofed and easily maintainable. This was a critical part of the brief as the whole campsite is run by volunteers.
Future proofing has been key as the building will develop with technology and the needs of the users. We ensured the building fabric was super insulated to give the building longevity. This then allows us to add extra green features like the Armstrong Dune eVo ceiling tiles, grey water systems and PVs to the roof.

“The site has its own challenges with restricted access but through modular construction we were able to meet all of these. From a concrete slab to a fully clad building in two working weeks really showed the benefit of off-site modular construction. “

The new single-storey bunkhouse at the 47-acre Drum Hill Scout camp site in Little Eaton replaces a former Rolls Royce canteen that had reached the end of its 50-year life span. It comprises a training/dining hall, kitchen and bunk rooms with associated services for up to 44 residents and will also be available for use by the local Derbyshire community.

The result of five years of fundraising £200,000 as well as donations of products from companies such as Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, pro bono professional services such as the architectural design provided by Maber, and labour carried out by hosts of volunteers including Peveril Interiors, the new building has been achieved. Constructed of SIP timber frame on a ground-bearing slab with external brick plinth it features larch timber cladding and a profiled aluminium roof deck.

Kevin Leahy of Peveril Interiors said: “We prefer to use Armstrong ceiling products. They have never let us down and adding the new Dune eVo tile to the range has gone down really well with both the clients who value the aesthetics and performance and our installation teams who value the new tougher edge which gives a much better installation experience.

“We have made a good choice, both aesthetically for now and environmentally for the future. Young people will use this building for generations to come and deserve to be left with a product that is completely recyclable. That should really be the legacy and example that we leave for them.”

He added: “We were introduced to the team and the Scouts Association by a client of ours at Rolls Royce. Once we had visited the site at Drum Hill and understood the purpose of this building and what it would mean to the young people using it we felt we wanted to help the Scouts get the building completed to a very high standard and at minimum cost.

“It has been a rewarding project for us. The Scouts Association is giving young people from all backgrounds shared experiences that will really equip them with skills that will last a lifetime. To play a small part in that feels pretty good.”

Scout Leader and project manager Tom Stoddart said: “Armstrong Ceilings have been superb. From the first contact with Anthony Fawcett [Armstrong’s assistant sales manager, UK – commercial] their enthusiasm and support has been beyond our dreams really. They have just stepped forward and helped in ways that we hadn’t even imagined.

“Without Armstrong’s involvement there certainly would have been a time delay while we fundraised for the materials and then it would have been an even longer time delay being volunteers who would have installed it. No disrespect to our volunteers but I’m sure we wouldn’t have got the professional finish that we have.

“I’d like to think that over its [the Dune eVo tile] life it will look down on 40 to 50,000 young people who are experiencing all sorts of things. It will see those young people making friends, having fun and learning skills for life.”

Volunteer camp site manager and project manager Lesley Upton said: “I think it’s amazing what can be done by volunteers giving their time and companies supporting us to provide an outstanding building.

“It’s great that Armstrong have a community side to their company that would actually support organisations like the Scouts in providing facilities for young people when we couldn’t do it without company support.

“The project would have been delayed because we would have to financially raise the money to pay for our ceilings and then use volunteer time to actually install them. Whereas since Armstrong have come along and done it all it has speeded up the project and started to change it from a construction site to a usable space. “

She said Dune eVo’s recyclability had played a “really important” role. “We need to stop using new resources all the time and use the stuff that we have got on this planet.”

Scout Felix Hughes (pictured top with Explorer Scout Libby Halford) said: “I think it’s a really nice place. It looks a lot better than the old one and it’s a lot more friendly and inviting. It will make a big difference because there is now a greater opportunity to do stuff than there used to be.

Of his experience helping Peveril interiors install the Dune eVo tiles, he said: “I have enjoyed the involvement of designing, putting my ideas forth and helping out, like actually putting the ceiling tiles in. I have respect for people who do this now because it is a bit difficult.”

And of the new Dune eVo tile above, he said: “It might want to tell me that it’s looking forward to seeing the generations of Scouts go through and using this space a lot more.”

Lee Smith concluded: “The project is difficult to value due to the generosity of numerous local companies and volunteers giving their free time. If we had approached a main contractor to deliver it would probably be in the region of £600,000 to £700,000 to deliver the scheme.”

As part of Armstrong’s “New Beginnings” initiative, the company is running a social media competition in May and June for one community-based project to win a new beginning for their ceiling space.

Anthony Fawcett said: “This first use of our next-generation Dune eVo tile prompted us to offer other community projects the chance to win a new ceiling and we are confident that once they see what can be achieved with it we will be inundated with entries into our New Beginnings competition.”

Community groups interested in applying to win 250m2 of Dune eVo tiles and grid and up to three days of free installation should click here to apply. For more information go to #eVoNewBeginnings.

Derbyshire Scouts’ new bunkhouse will play host to a Scout and Guide activity camp for 1,500 campers over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend when it will be officially opened.

More information is accessible via www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/.
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Armstrong Ceilings offers community groups a New Beginning

The use of its new Dune eVo tile on a recent, volunteer-run project has prompted Armstrong Ceiling Solutions to launch a competition via social media which gives a community organisation the chance to win a new ceiling.

The next-generation, ultra-green Dune eVo tile was specified by Maber architects for a new bunkhouse for the Drum Hill Scout Campsite in Derbyshire. The tile, which is 100% recyclable, provides class-leading visuals and improved acoustic performance through a new surface which is both brighter and smoother.

As the new bunkhouse signifies a new beginning for the delighted Derbyshire scouts now Armstrong wants to offer the same opportunity to other community groups through its #eVoNewBeginnings campaign.

As Scout Felix Hughes (pictured right with Explorer Scout Libby Halford) said: “I think it’s a really nice place. It looks a lot better than the old one and it’s a lot more friendly and inviting. It will make a big difference because there is now a lot more opportunity to do stuff than there used to be.
The competition prize is up to 250m2 of Dune eVo tiles and grid plus up to three days of free installation by a member of Armstrong’s national network of approved Omega installers.* The competition is open to any non-commercial project in the UK and Ireland that serves the community

The #eVoNewBeginnings campaign will run on the manufacturer’s social media sites (Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest) throughout May (when the Drum Hill bunkhouse is officially opened) as well as June (Dune eVo’s first-year anniversary), with competition entries judged by two internal and one external judge from Armstrong’s charity of choice Rays of Sunshine. The winner will be the one that most captured their imagination.

Scout Leader and associate director at Maber Lee Smith said of the new Dune eVo tile: “I think it’s another advancement for the ceiling tile in terms of the specification and the acoustic delivery.”

“As a long-time specifier over the past 12 years working in architecture I trust and know the Armstrong product range will deliver what we want, giving us quality and robustness within our budget range.”

On volunteering his time and expertise, he said: “The project is difficult to value due to the generosity of numerous local companies and volunteers giving their free time. If we had approached a main contractor to deliver it would probably be in the region of £600,000 to £700,000 to deliver the scheme.”

Kevin Leahy of Peveril Interiors who installed Dune eVo at the scout bunkhouse, said: “It has been a rewarding project for us. The Scouts association is giving young people from all backgrounds shared experiences that will really equip them with skills that will last a lifetime. To play a small part in that feels pretty good.

“Adding the new Dune eVo tile to the range has gone down really well with both the clients who value the aesthetics and performance and our installation teams who value the new tougher edge which gives a much better installation experience.”

Volunteer camp site manager and project manager Lesley Upton said: “I think it’s amazing what can be done by volunteers giving their time and companies supporting us to provide an outstanding building.”

She said Dune eVo’s recyclability had played a “really important” role. “We need to stop using new resources all the time and use the stuff that we have got on this planet.”

To be in with a chance of winning a #eVoNewBeginnings for your community space, complete a short entry form about the project, detailing why it should win and uploading a photo of the existing building, at www.new-beginnings.com.
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Armstrong Ceilings feature in university’s striking new library

A mix of metal and mineral ceiling and wall systems from Armstrong were specified for a new development at Royal Holloway, University of London, one of the top 30 universities in the UK.

The new BREEAM “Excellent” rated library and student services centre, named the Emily Wilding Davison Building after one of the university’s most famous alumni, is set in a new landscaped events square at the heart of the university’s campus in Egham, Surrey.

The 10,500m2 state-of-the-art building delivers inspirational library and study spaces, together with student facing services under one roof, putting enhanced student experience at the forefront.

Some 1,000m2 of RAL 9010 Armstrong custom Metal B-H 300 ceiling planks, Metal R-H 200 ceiling tiles and custom Metal W-H 1100 wall panels, as well as Armstrong’s Cradle to Cradle certified Perla OP mineral tiles on a Prelude 15 TL grid were specified by Associated Architects for the £57 million new Davison Building at Royal Holloway.

The Metal B-H 300 perforated linear planks with acoustic fleece on a 300mm C-profile were used for the soffit of the triple-height atrium at the core of a series of wings and for three link bridges at first and second floor levels, while the Metal R-H 200 Hook-On tiles and Perla OP mineral tiles (which perform to sound absorption class A and are 85% light reflectant) on a Prelude 15 TL grid feature in offices.

Project architect Joe Belcher said: “We were looking for a product that, in conjunction with the perforated timber veneer panelling, would help provide absorption to soften the acoustic of the atrium. As well as providing a neat and crisp aesthetic, we chose a self-finished material to avoid an unnecessary maintenance burden, especially relevant for tall spaces where maintenance access requires special equipment.

“We were especially pleased with the way the Armstrong product has been coordinated to align with other features such as the large feature rooflights. The 300mm plank module and edge trims enabled us to ensure the crisp junctions envisaged were achieved. For all these reasons, and the fact that Armstrong is a known and trusted name for our clients, it made sense to specify Armstrong.”

Throughout the building, a careful, consistent approach was taken to the internal character. Associated Architects developed a mature and sophisticated interior scheme to fit in with the university’s campus. This included visual concrete columns and soffits, extensive timber finishes and feature lighting.

Extensive areas of exposed visual quality light grey concrete to soffits, columns and stair core walls form part of the passive thermal strategy for the building, allowing generous floor-to-ceiling heights which give a sense of permanence and solidity.

Joe Belcher added: “As a practice we regularly specify Armstrong products. As well as the more common modular suspended ceiling format which regularly appears in education, higher education and commercial office projects, we have used Armstrong products in previous laboratory and library projects.”

The Armstrong ceiling and wall systems were installed by specialist sub-contractor Rosguill Developments for main contractor Osborne. The Davison Building officially opened in October 2017.

For more information please visit www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/
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Armstrong Ceilings feature in University’s striking new library

A mix of metal and mineral ceiling and wall systems from Armstrong were specified for a new development at Royal Holloway, University of London, one of the top 30 universities in the UK .

The new BREEAM “Excellent” rated library and student services centre, named the Emily Wilding Davison Building after one of the university’s most famous alumni, is set in a new landscaped events square at the heart of the university’s campus in Egham, Surrey.

The 10,500m2 state-of-the-art building delivers inspirational library and study spaces, together with student facing services under one roof, putting enhanced student experience at the forefront.

Some 1,000m2 of RAL 9010 Armstrong custom Metal B-H 300 ceiling planks, Metal R-H 200 ceiling tiles and custom Metal W-H 1100 wall panels, as well as Armstrong’s Cradle to Cradle® certified Perla OP mineral tiles on a Prelude 15 TL grid were specified by Associated Architects for the £57 million new Davison Building at Royal Holloway.

The Metal B-H 300 perforated linear planks with acoustic fleece on a 300mm C-profile were used for the soffit of the triple-height atrium at the core of a series of wings and for three link bridges at first and second floor levels, while the Metal R-H 200 Hook-On tiles and Perla OP mineral tiles (which perform to sound absorption class A and are 85% light reflectant) on a Prelude 15 TL grid feature in offices.

Project architect Joe Belcher said “We were looking for a product that, in conjunction with the perforated timber veneer panelling, would help provide absorption to soften the acoustic of the atrium. As well as providing a neat and crisp aesthetic, we chose a self-finished material to avoid an unnecessary maintenance burden, especially relevant for tall spaces where maintenance access requires special equipment.

“We were especially pleased with the way the Armstrong product has been coordinated to align with other features such as the large feature rooflights. The 300mm plank module and edge trims enabled us to ensure the crisp junctions envisaged were achieved. For all these reasons, and the fact that Armstrong is a known and trusted name for our clients, it made sense to specify Armstrong.”

Throughout the building, a careful, consistent approach was taken to the internal character. Associated Architects developed a mature and sophisticated interior scheme to fit in with the university’s campus. This included visual concrete columns and soffits, extensive timber finishes and feature lighting.

Extensive areas of exposed visual quality light grey concrete to soffits, columns and stair core walls form part of the passive thermal strategy for the building, allowing generous floor-to-ceiling heights which give a sense of permanence and solidity.

Joe Belcher added “As a practice we regularly specify Armstrong products. As well as the more common modular suspended ceiling format which regularly appears in education, higher education and commercial office projects, we have used Armstrong products in previous laboratory and library projects.”

The Armstrong ceiling and wall systems were installed by specialist sub-contractor Rosguill Developments for main contractor Osborne. The Davison Building officially opened in October 2017.

More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/ or the manufacturer’s app which is available from both the Apple store as well as the Google Play store, or by clicking on one of the links below with your mobile device www.armstrong.com/CeilingDownloads-Apple or www.armstrong.com/CeilingDownloads-Android.
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New-look offices pioneer use of Armstrong’s bespoke metal baffles

Armstrong Ceiling Solutions has marked the first use in the UK of its wood-effect metal baffles, alongside other innovative systems, in a prestigious £3.9 million office refurbishment.

The manufacturer’s VP-500 vertical metal baffles with a US Walnut finish were specified by frequent Armstrong users BPR architects for Blake House (formerly Teal House), a three-storey office building on Cowley Business Park, coincidentally about one mile from Armstrong’s own offices in Uxbridge, Middlesex.

The 300mm-high metal baffles bring a contemporary linear aesthetic to a new lobby extension and refurbished main stairs alongside 2,800m2 of Armstrong’s 600mm x 600mm metal MicroLook tiles in a Prelude 15mm grid in the open-plan office areas, Armstrong’s new Drywall Grid System (DGS) for plasterboard ceilings in staircase areas, and Ultima+ Vector 600mm x 1200mm mineral tiles on a 24mm grid in the core areas.

The new look for client Henry Boot Developments involved increasing the size of the 1990s steel-framed building from 22,000ft2 to 30,000ft2 by adding extra office space to the rear, remodelling the internal core layout and building a new double-height entrance lobby at the front to enhance its dated appearance and attract large corporations as lease holders.

Special attention was also given to the specification of fixtures and fittings and communal spaces, much of which feature black walnut to echo the Armstrong baffles, without over-prescribing the design.

As well as delivering an exciting architectural aesthetic, the Armstrong metal baffles enable easy integration of services and achieve the required acoustical level via the use of perforated sides and an acoustic inlay fleece. They are also highly scratch resistant, manufactured from up to 30% recycled steel and are quick and easy to install.

BPR project architect Ross McMahon said: “We used Armstrong’s wood-effect metal baffles in the new lobby extension. They soften the acoustics in the lobby and the timber effect brings the outside environment of trees inside the building. They also matched the walnut finish with ‘real’ wood used in the interior such as the doors, reception desk and hand rails.”

Ross added: “We specify Armstrong because their product portfolio is comprehensive. We have used and trusted their products over many years and so unless they didn’t provide a particular product that a client requested we would be unlikely to look elsewhere.”

For this particular project Ross added: “We have a long-standing relationship with Armstrong. The sales rep who visited us was very knowledgeable and we were impressed by him. The client likes the softening of the acoustics and is pleased with the aesthetic tying in with the real wood finishes.”

Ian Mitchell of CPC Interiors, who carried out the ceilings package of the Category A fit-out for the principal contractor, Apex Contractors, said: “Our team worked closely with the electrical contractors to ensure the Armstrong baffles and the lights were installed in consideration of the reception desk and seating.

“This was a refurbishment of an existing building to get it ready for future letting. The landlord gained planning to extend the building by approximately 30% which entailed a new escape staircase at the rear of the property. While all necessary approvals and construction of this area was undertaken, works to the existing areas had to continue to keep to the client’s programme.”

More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/ or the manufacturer’s app which is available from both the Apple store as well as the Google Play store, or by clicking on one of the links below with your mobile device www.armstrong.com/CeilingDownloads-Apple or www.armstrong.com/CeilingDownloads-Android.

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