Ceiling Design Reaches New Heights at Growth Equity Firm
Project: Summit Partners
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Summit Partners, a growth equity company, and its architect firm Visnick & Caulfield wanted to create eye-catching, suspended acoustical ceilings when remodeling two floors of its high-end office space. The design for the trapezoid-shaped boardroom featured a “sawtooth” pattern, a series of sharp V shapes made with custom sloped wood veneer acoustic ceiling panels, painted white. The reception area called for a monolithic, smooth-curved look, utilizing custom fiberglass acoustic ceiling panels with a white coating. CertainTeed Decoustics® Claro® and Quadrillo® delivered on both the acoustic and design standards.
“The ceiling shape is itself a “summit,” in that it’s simultaneously highly decorative, functional and original,” said Sherry Niazmand, principal, Visnick & Caulfield. “In addition, the high sound absorbency of the panels is perfect for addressing the audio concerns of the customer’s meetings.”
For easy ceiling access, the panels were installed in a unique suspended ceiling that allows each panel to be spring-loaded, eliminating the need for full panel removal and reinstallation during maintenance in the plenum. Using custom-designed butterfly clips, fit to each panel, this functionality also accommodated the lighting, sprinkler and HVAC systems. The clip system made installation easier and faster, saving time and frustration, and simplifying future maintenance.
Strict attention to detail throughout the process was imperative. The proposed boardroom ceiling opening at 355 inches needed to be expanded to 369 inches. The V shapes, originally conceived to be all in one piece, would have complicated installation and panel access. Instead, the team introduced pre-assembled corners to the points of the V shapes. AutoCAD software helped with the slope of the panels to work in the boardroom’s unusual trapezoidal shape.
Once in place, the Claro and Quadrillo ceilings provided the desired ambience with excellent light distribution, and the acoustic control needed for conferences and in the busy reception area.
