Understanding Code-Compliant Integrated Ceiling Solutions
Design Details: Lighting Integration
Lighting integrated within a ceiling’s suspension system offers the benefits of code compliance, easy installation, and plug-and-play capability needed for today’s flexible spaces. Ceiling manufacturer suspension systems specifically designed for integration with lighting, reduce trade coordination and labor requirements. Lighting fixtures can even install from below into the ceiling suspension system, eliminating construction coordination hassles, while reducing required plenum depth.
For example, pre-engineered extruded aluminum light coves for direct and indirect applications can integrate with acoustical or drywall ceiling suspension systems even in low plenum clearance areas and provide predictable lighting performance with a variety of prequalified lighting partners. Installation time and labor are reduced up to 50 percent. Working with the ceiling manufacturer early in the process as the lighting plan is considered ensures details are per your specifications and are not solved for on the jobsite.
Pre-engineered lighting options include:
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T-bar suspension system lighting: zero plenum lighting fixtures install like a standard cross tee for increased ceiling heights and minimal plenum interference.
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Acoustical cloud lighting: custom-look acoustical clouds with integrated lighting are packaged in easy-to-specify kits. These options provide outstanding performance for collaborative and focus areas in open plenum environments.
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On-center linear lighting: acoustical suspension systems provide lighting layout symmetry options using standard components to compliment your building design.
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Technical zone lighting: effectively integrate all technical services for an organized, simplified, monolithic ceiling visual, including lighting, diffusers, and sprinklers in metal, wood, and acoustical ceilings.
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Direct and indirect cove lighting: pre-engineered extruded aluminum light coves with integrated light fixtures provide predictable lighting performance.
Acoustics in Flexible Building Design Sempra Energy, San Diego, California
The Design Need:
When Sempra Energy began drawing up plans for its new corporate headquarters building in downtown San Diego, acoustics was top of mind for the design team charged with meeting specific criteria for noise levels inside the 16-story office building. The need was to absorb noise in the open-plan offices and prevent noise from private offices and conference rooms from being overheard in adjacent spaces.
The Solution:
To meet the noise level criteria for the open-plan offices, the design team needed an acoustical ceiling with a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of at least 0.70, meaning it absorbs 70 percent of the sound that strikes it. In the adjacent private offices and conference rooms, where speech privacy is important, a ceiling attenuation class (CAC) of at least 35 was needed to effectively block sound from traveling across the plenum into adjacent spaces. The design team satisfied both requirements by selecting a fine texture mineral fiber ceiling panel for all the office spaces in the 320,000-square-foot building. The panels feature new acoustic performance, which is the ability to provide both sound absorption (NRC) and sound blocking (CAC) in the same panel. “The NRC was very important in the open-office areas,” says lead interior designer Stuart Fromson. “By utilizing very low furniture partition system heights, we are providing daylight and views to 70 percent of the building occupants. This creates a very open environment.” In the old Sempra Energy building, which was built in the 1960s, there were frequent complaints about being able to hear private conversations between offices. “That’s why it was important to have CAC in the ceiling of the new building,” says Fromson. “It’s critical that we don’t get sound transfer over the top of the walls.” A movable wall system that coordinates well with the flush suspension system provides the design flexibility needed to reconfigure the office spaces when needed. “With high NRC and CAC in one panel, we can move walls as needed to make private offices into open spaces and open spaces into private offices, and still maintain the sound blocking and sound absorption we need for each space.”
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Sempra Energy San Diego, California Carrier Johnson CULTURE San Diego, California Fine textured ceilings with both high NRC and high CAC
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