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The next evolution in ceiling tiles – Dune eVo

New Dune eVo ceiling tile range helps architects meet targets around sustainability and acoustics

Architects striving to design more sustainable and attractive modern buildings are being given a helping hand by Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, after the company launched a range of new ceiling tiles, all of which are 100% recyclable. The range has been designed to provide class leading visuals and improved acoustic performance through a new surface which is both brighter and smoother.

Armstrong’s new Dune eVo range is the next evolution in ceiling tiles. It includes a full mix and match ceiling portfolio: Dune eVo, Dune eVo dB and Dune eVo Max, giving architects complete acoustic and design flexibility for every space. Dune eVo is also the first ceiling system in the industry to gain *cradle-to-cradle accreditation.

The Dune eVo range has been designed to enable architects to specify ceiling systems which not only demonstrate high performance in use, but which also offer sustainability benefits through the choice of raw materials used in production. Furthermore, the range includes a full recycling offer, free to the user at the end of the ceiling tile’s life.

Armstrong has designed the Dune eVo range to project a more modern appearance in building projects, with uniform finish, allowing architects to specify ceilings which are not only sustainable but which can enable modern buildings to achieve a premium aesthetic. This is particularly important as architects continue to design environments which positively affect occupant health, well-being, and productivity.

The fifth evolution of Armstrong’s popular Dune tile, first launched in 1984, the Dune eVo range follows the Dune Supreme range and has been developed following feedback from customers. The result is a range of attractive and effective ceiling systems, which can be re-used multiple times, taking both the ownership lifecycle and occupancy well-being to new heights.

Graham Taylor, Sales Director for the UK, Ireland and Southern Africa at Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, commented: “We understand that architects are always looking to build more attractive buildings to create an aesthetic which improves the places where people work, live, and play. Those buildings that achieve this typically attract more investment and enhance the wellbeing of building occupants. This is why we have continued to develop our Dune range, re-engineering the product for more effective installation, and creating ceiling systems, which are truly recyclable and can continuously be re-used.”

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a priority for modern construction projects, with the UK’s Construction 2025 strategy revealing that architects can enjoy cost savings over a building’s operational life simply by specifying sustainable materials at the design stage. In addition to delivering environmental benefits to architects, Armstrong’s Dune eVo family of ceiling tiles can also contribute to greater occupancy wellbeing, having been engineered with class-leading whiteness and acoustics to create brighter and better surroundings. The eVo range provides a balanced acoustic performance of up to 0.65 aw, Class C sound absorption, and a sound attenuating performance of up to 39 dB. It also has fewer perforations than many standard ceiling tiles to create a uniform, smooth and contemporary finish. Furthermore, Dune eVo has also been designed to have a reinforced fully painted edge, making it more durable and resilient both in storage and application.

Graham Taylor continued: “Our Dune range has been extremely popular amongst architects for the last 33 years so when it came to developing the range even further, we wanted to create products which add value at every stage of a building project, from design and specification, through to build and beyond. The result is fully recyclable and sustainable products for architects, with enhanced acoustics, which are easy to handle and install, and which pass on further benefits post installation, to building occupants. This fits with our mission to positively impact the spaces where people live, work and play.”

The Dune eVo ceiling range was officially launched on June 21, 2017, during an exclusive event at Mercedes World.

To find out more about Armstrong’s new Dune eVo range, please visit the website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/whats-new.html

*Please note, the Dune eVo Db product is not C2C certified

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Armstrong Ceiling Solutions launches SonoPerf D® – a unique embossed metal tile

A specially-designed “perforated” metal tile combines acoustics with aesthetics.

A unique metal tile has been launched by Armstrong Ceiling Solutions to meet the requirement for acoustics which do not come at the expense of aesthetics.

SonoPerf D® (D for design) combines specially-designed ultra-discreet embossing for optimal acoustics with a monolithic visual.

The latest addition to Armstrong’s impressive portfolio of metal and mesh metal ceiling solutions, it is particularly suitable for use with radiant chilled ceiling systems.

This is due to its 3D fine micro-slotted embossing which allows for a homogenous air flow through the metal panels, improving the performance of a chilled ceiling system while also providing good flow in a deflected air stream.

Suitable for small and large rooms, as well as corridors and as floating ceilings in buildings of all types, SonoPerf D® features up to Class A sound absorption (1.00aw) when used with a 40mm mineral wool acoustic infill and is available in selected Clip-In, Lay-In and Hook-On systems as well as floating canopies.

SonoPerf D® has already proved popular in Switzerland, where for instance 4,500m2 was installed in the mixed-use Toni Areal in Zürich and 2,500m2 in the Canton Hospital in St Gallen, it is now being launched throughout Europe, its unique design making it as suitable for prestigious as well as standard spaces.

Available in square and rectangular panels with a maximum size of 3000mm length and 800mm width and a range of colours, the tile comes with acoustic fleece as standard although additional infills are available if even greater acoustic performance is required. It is manufactured from 30% recycled steel and is available with a 15-year product and 30-year systems guarantee.

More information on SonoPerf D® can be accessed via the Armstrong website www.armstrongceilings.co.uk or on the Armstrong Ceilings app 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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Armstrong Ceilings showcases European projects in ‘A Book for 2017’

A coffee-table visual delight is published by Armstrong Ceilings.

Proof that ceilings are no longer an afterthought in the design and build process is contained within the glossy new A Book for 2017 from Armstrong.

While they hide unsightly soffits, reflect light, help to control the air quality, acoustics and temperature of a building space, and resist bacteria, ceilings are now all this and so much more – stunning designs guaranteed to inspire no matter the environment.

And those stunning designs, dozens of them, are showcased within the 82-page coffee table-style brochure that snapshots new-build and refurbishments projects from the retail and leisure, education, office, healthcare and transport sectors throughout Europe.

UK projects include metal tiles and baffles at the National Biologics Manufacturing Centre in Darlington, Axiom Knife edge canopies with integrated lighting at CFC Underwriting’s offices in London, wood tiles on a black bandraster grid at Global Mining and Resource Company’s offices in London, and a bespoke orange metal ceiling and wall at The Contact Company’s call centre in The Wirral.

Other European projects include metal baffles and open-cell metal ceilings at Ernst & Young in Poland, Optima canopies at Pitney Bowes in Italy, metal baffles at H&M’s central European main store in Hungary and mesh metal ceilings for multi-media centre Mediathèque de Caen in France.

Armstrong’s office in Prague also features in the book, with, understandably, the complete portfolio – mineral canopies and baffles, metal canopies, wood tiles and the first ceiling system comprising mineral tiles and grid to be awarded Cradle to Cradle certification.

The manufacturer’s 150-year-old pedigree means all this comes with unparalleled expertise so the design process is simplified in a “Less is more” fashion.

A two-minute video presentation of the A Book is available to view via http://www.armstrong.com/commclgeu/eu1/uk/gb/video-library.html?channelId=5227721150001&mediaId=5275657551001.

The A Book for 2017 is available to download from www.armstrong-ceilings.co.uk and also features on the Armstrong Ceiling Systems app 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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Armstrong Ceilings’ TechZone™ system has been enhanced

Armstrong Ceilings has further simplified its ground-breaking TechZone™ system, which was the industry’s first easy-to-specify-and-install ceiling solution with integrated technical services, to be offered as a standard solution.

TechZone™, which was pioneering when it was launched in 2009, is now available as four standard layouts which easily organise lighting, air diffusers and returns into 100mm and 150mm wide technical zones.

A range of compatible fixtures from Armstrong’s partner companies for the building services elements (Trox for air diffusers and XAL and Zumtobel for lighting) have also been prequalified for fit and finish to give a clean, monolithic look using standard ceiling panels and suspension systems.

All specifiers have to do is design the layout from either Armstrong’s CAD/Revit library or their own imagination, then choose the field panels, technical panels, suspension systems and perimeter treatments.

Field panels are Armstrong’s Ultima+ and Ultima+ OP, Perla and Perla OP 0.95 and Optima mineral tiles and planks with Microlook 90 or SL2 edge profiles. These tiles and planks deliver environmentally and acoustically as Perla OP 0.95 was the first mineral tile in the world to be Cradle to Cradle certified, the Ultima+ range was the first mineral ceiling tile range in the world to be Cradle to Cradle certified, and the suspension system – the Prelude 15 XL2 grid – is now also Cradle to Cradle certified, making the complete system (tiles and grid) the ultimate green ceiling system. In addition, Perla OP 0.95, Ultima+ OP and Optima all deliver to sound absorption Class A.

The improved TechZone™ system has enabled Armstrong to meet the growing trend for linear lighting.

At the same time, Armstrong has teamed up with XAL Lighting to launch the On Centre linear lighting solution. It makes it even easier for architects and specifiers to create inspiring ceiling designs with higher ceiling heights, zero plenum interference and on-centre continuous or non-continuous layouts.

The unique solution is designed to be installed as a full new system but it can also be retrofitted to existing 600mm by 600mm ceiling modules to bring an even cleaner monolithic visual to open and closed-plan spaces in buildings such as offices, schools, hospitals and retail outlets.

The integrated system allows the high-performance XAL Leno Grid Led luminaire to be installed from below to eliminate the requirement for ceiling re-work when it is specified with factory-finished Armstrong ceilings panels (Ultima+, Ultima+ OP and Perla OP 0.95) and the Prelude 15 XL2 suspension system. It also integrates with Axiom pre-engineered perimeter systems and transitions and can be incorporated into canopies.

Architects and designers simply follow the TechZone™ specification phases of choosing a standard layout or creating their own, then choosing their panels, suspension systems, perimeter treatment and accessories. Armstrong’s 600mm by 600mm mineral tiles are typically used throughout, with the 600mm by 550mm brought in when there is a linear light to fit. Lighting strips can be as long as 2,400mm.

The new premium system gives an ultra-contemporary visual with the narrow 100mm linear lighting centred on the grid using standard ceilings and suspension systems to create custom looks. The lighting goes between and parallel to the grid main runners so only requires an additional hanger for installation, making it as quick and easy to install as standard systems.

TechZone™ incorporating linear lighting has its own dedicated CAD drawings available from Armstrong’s Architectural Specialities office and is covered by Armstrong’s 30-year system warranty*.

*For the Armstrong components, not XAL’s.

For more information please visit www.armstrongceilings.co.uk.
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Armstrong Ceilings hit the heights at Farnborough

The total amount of tiles recycled by Armstrong Ceilings at the airshow has risen again.

Armstrong Ceilings continues to break the mould for recycling building materials at the Farnborough International Airshow.

The UK manufacturer has again exceeded the amount of ceiling tiles it recycles at the bi-annual show it has supplied for the past four events, this year some 14,769m2 compared to the 13,400m2 it recycled in 2014 – the first time the company employed its Off-Cut scheme as well as its End-Of-Life scheme.

Not only that, the amount of mineral ceilings recycled from the potential from more than 200 temporary corporate hospitality and business chalets and exhibition halls on site rose from 61% in 2014 to 79.8% this year, winning praise from the show’s head of operational development and Health and Safety.

Jonathan Smith said: “I am extremely pleased with the outcomes this year working with Armstrong. There has been a significant year-on-year improvement over the last few shows since we began working together.”

Some 1,885m2 (or 12.7%) of this year’s recycling total was from 70 bags of ceiling tile off-cuts recycled prior to the show between July 11 and 17 while 12,884m2 (87.3%) was from tiles dismantled after the show, all in all saving contractors (whom Armstrong does not charge for the service) more than £10,000 in landfill and skip hire tax.

In terms of environmental impact, as well as the 14,769m2 diverted from landfill, this year’s scheme saved more than 73 tonnes of virgin raw material, more than 20,000 kWh energy, more than 36,000 CO2 equivalent greenhouse gasses, and more than 251,000 litres of potable water.

The tiles for recycling (Dune Supreme and Fine Fissured) were collected in bags and stored in the exhibition hall then returned on nine trucks to Armstrong’s production facility in Gateshead for recycling back into the mix with the help of logistics company and fork lift operators Ceva Showfreight, specialist waste management and cleaning contractors Sagum Events and the Southampton branch of specialist distributor SIG Interiors.

The corporate hospitality and business chalets, which are used by such prestigious exhibitors as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Rolls Royce, typically take five weeks to build and fit out and one week to dismantle.

Oliver Newin, who oversaw the recycling and environmental element of the show, which prides itself on its green philosophy, said: “We encourage people to use Armstrong because of their recycling capabilities and this year it went very well.”

Roy Smith, Armstrong’s recycling sales development manager, added: “Our recycling scheme was very well received by the contractors on site. I feel from them it is now an expected part of the show.”

Armstrong was first brought in to recycle its suspended ceilings at the 2008 airshow by the event’s largest independent chalet fitting contractor SDD I GES and back then saved 2,600m2 (or 10 tonnes) from landfill.

The ceiling tiles recycled from this year’s Farnborough airshow help to bring the total amount of recycling by Armstrong since 2009 to more than 500,000m2.

Armstrong pioneered ceiling recycling in the UK in 2003 and since then the programme has evolved to include all mineral tiles, no minimum quantities, a growing network of “Green Omega” installers and partnerships with national distributors to further support customers’ local recycling requirements.

For more information please visit www.armstrongceilings.co.uk.
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Armstrong Ceilings prove a multi-acting medicine for CPI

Metal and mineral ceiling systems from Armstrong have been used on a new biologics centre.

A wide variety of ceiling systems from Armstrong have proved just the tonic for a ground-breaking new medical research centre.

More than half a dozen different solutions, including wall-to-wall systems, rafts and linear baffles, were specified by architects NORR for the National Biologics Manufacturing Centre in Darlington, County Durham, which was opened by Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science.

Developed with a £38 million investment by the Government as part of the Strategy for UK Life Sciences programme, it is used for conducting research on biologic products by promoting collaboration between academia, the NHS and industry.

The 5,000m2 facility features flexible laboratory and pilot plant areas, dedicated spaces for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) process, analytical and technological development, and clean rooms for research as well as offices, meeting rooms and spaces for training and conferencing.

Armstrong Ceilings systems were used widely in white for maximum light reflectance, including the manufacturer’s metal systems – Tegular 2 microperforated tiles with acoustic fleece in the laboratories, B-H 300 microperforated planks (1800mm x 300mm) with acoustic fleece between plasterboard margins in corridors, and V-P 500 perforated metal baffles (1534mm x 150mm x 30mm) at 125mm centres in break-out areas and the double-height reception area. The D-H 700 floating raft ceiling, comprising 2140mm x 500mm x 30mm microperforated panels with acoustic fleece hung from a U-profile grid system, was also used in the reception area.

Mineral systems used were humidity-resistant Hydroboard 600mm x 600mm tiles with corrosion-resistant grid and perimeter trim in the changing rooms, Optima Vector tiles (600mm x 600mm) on a 24mm grid with shadow perimeter trim in meeting rooms, and Cradle to Cradle™ certified Ultima+ Vector tiles (600mm x 600mm) on a 24mm grid in offices, corridors and stairwells.

They were selected by regular Armstrong specifiers NORR, who handled Stage 4 onwards detailed design and full technical delivery to completion, for an equally wide variety of reasons, with particular challenges being the short timescales for a heavily serviced building (it was a 15-month build), aesthetics and services.

A NORR spokesman, who was taken by Armstrong’s Architectural Specialities team to Paddington Station to see Armstrong V-P 500 baffles in service, said: “The Armstrong systems were specified for the look of the ceiling, the excellent pre-specification service, the fact they are a great product, and that they have been used on similar buildings of quality.

“They play multiple parts in the project, from adding interest to a 7m high ceiling, providing easy access and maintenance, acoustics and reducing air intake as the baffles are used to assist the M&E strategy.”

The centre is managed by the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) which provides guidance to companies to develop new products and processes from concept to finished product. It uses applied knowledge in science and engineering, together with sophisticated development facilities, to enable clients to develop, demonstrate, prototype and scale-up the next generation of biologic products and processes.

The NORR spokesman added: “The client is very happy with the Armstrong systems. Quite often ceilings are missed out but the Armstrong systems enhance the space while providing access, ventilation and acoustic performance. The details were very straightforward to create.”

They were installed in the steel-framed building for Darlington-based design and build contractor Interserve over three months by a team of 16 from specialist Armstrong Omega sub-contractor Interceil.

Managing director Steve Jones said: “The biologics centre development was an extremely exciting project to be involved in. The Armstrong products afforded the installation of high-quality specifications providing excellent performance and stunning visual enhancement to the suspended ceilings.”

To view more images of this project, please go to the Armstrong project gallery www.armstrongceilings.co.uk/projectgallery.

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Armstrong Ceilings set to debut at Resource 2016

Armstrong Ceilings’ sustainability guru also set to present recycling and Cradle to Cradle case studies.

Leading UK manufacturer Armstrong Ceilings is debuting at Resource 2016 AND delivering a presentation in the exhibition’s #buildcircular learning hub seminar.

The company’s sustainability manager Jeremy Sumeray will talk on the Wednesday (March 9th, 2-3pm) about how architects and specifiers can take lifecycle into account in specification via the use of appropriate materials and resource-efficient product design.

He will also discuss how these factors drive innovation, what the motives are and what the payback is for owners, using case studies that show how Armstrong has recycled old ceilings and installed Cradle to Cradle-certified products to provide safe, healthy and endlessly reusable materials as lifecycle thinking in practice.

Armstrong’s stand (R8030) at the event, which co-locates with Ecobuild (March 8-10) at ExCel, will reinforce the company’s position as the world’s first mineral ceiling tile manufacturer to win Cradle to Cradle certification for a single tile, and then a complete range, as well as its pioneering of ceiling recycling schemes in the UK.

Visitors to the stand will be entered into a prize draw to win a Cradle to Cradle certified Herman Miller Setu chair.

For more information please visit www.armstrongceilings.co.uk.

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Armstrong launches its latest solutions guide to floating ceilings

A dynamic guide for flexible, acoustic canopies and baffles has been published by Armstrong.

Expert advice on the almost endless range of dramatic design and acoustic possibilities that can be achieved with canopies and baffles, including Optima Baffles Curves, the first curved mineral baffles in the industry, is contained within a new floating ceilings brochure from Armstrong.

Floating ceilings inspire great spaces by introducing new shapes and add depth, scale and rhythm to internal areas, creating a contemporary aesthetic for modern building designers in the transport, education, commercial and retail sectors.

But the 56-page A4 guide also explains that canopies and baffles can help create a more sustainable interior, contributing to improved indoor air quality and acoustics, and supporting high-mass, low-energy construction.

All this in a peerless variety of colours, effects including wood, and materials including mineral and metal, as well as shapes including square, rectangular, circular, concave, convex and curved. Floating ceilings are also ideal for the easy integration of building services such as lighting and cooling and heating elements.

Floating ceilings are capable of providing greater acoustic sound absorption than continuous ones because all their faces and edges are exposed, and because they are easily relocatable are as suitable for retrofit and refurbishment as they are for new-build.

In addition, specially-engineered surfaces reflect up to 87% of light to improve illumination, making spaces brighter and more comfortable and cutting energy bills. They are additionally sustainable in that they are manufactured from a high degree of recycled material and are also recyclable.

The brochure also explains how product variety is backed by service support including consultations with specifiers or main contractors, supply of BIM and production of CAD drawings bespoke to the project which are then used to engineer a production schedule and logistics plan, and on-site guidance and post-installation review if required.

Armstrong’s new floating ceilings brochure is available to download here and via the Armstrong Ceiling Systems App available from both the Apple store as well as the Google Play store.

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Armstrong Ceilings keeps its customers in suspension

A comprehensive guide to its peerless portfolio of suspension systems has been launched by Armstrong Ceilings.

The 54-page A4 product selector catalogue provides specifiers, installers and supply chain partners with a huge range of standard and designer solutions for all types of spaces in the widest choice of designs, colours and materials to fulfill the requirements of modern building concepts.

Designed to not only coordinate with the complete portfolio of Armstrong ceiling products, whether mineral, metal, wood or custom solutions, they also integrate with all types of building service elements such as lighting and HVAC.

There are systems for metal ceilings, floating ceilings, corridors, the suspension of plasterboard ceilings (Armstrong’s fast-track precision-engineered Drywall Grid System – DGS), perimeter detailing via the AXIOM range of Blind Boxes, angles, channels, trims and bulkheads, and a wide range of accessories.

The portfolio also includes an extensive range of performance grids offering specific solutions for more demanding applications such as Clean Rooms and seismic installations.

CE Marked, resistant to fire, recyclable and available with warranties up to 30 years when installed with Armstrong ceilings, the systems are supported by CAD and BIM files, the latter via the National BIM Library.

For more information please visit www.armstrongceilings.co.uk.

Guidance on loading capacities is also included within the new suspension systems catalogue which is available to download from www.armstrong.co.uk/assets/global/commclgeu/files/Literature/3515.PDF or from the Armstrong Ceiling Systems free App. This 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 here for iPhone or here for Android.

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