The Challenge:
REGENXBIO is a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company that seeks to improve lives through the curative potential of gene therapy. As a result of continuing growth, it recently relocated to a new building that allowed it to expand its labs and consolidate its office space.
According to EwingCole designer Lindsay Casey, company management was looking to create a state-of-the-art facility that showcased their science while allowing for continuous operation of offices and labs. To meet that need, numerous glass walls were installed to connect the labs to the offices. Management was also looking to create a dynamic interior surface in the facility’s main lobby and centrally located lounge areas. Excellent acoustical performance and a clean, modern, monolithic visual were also part of the design requirement.
The Solution:
To create the desired dynamic surface, Casey and the design team chose to install a series of ceiling clouds comprised of ACOUSTIBUILT Seamless Acoustical Ceilings, an Armstrong ceiling system that provides the look of drywall but performs like an acoustical ceiling. Finished ACOUSTIBUILT panels feature a smooth, monolithic visual to meet the needs of those who desire the appearance of a drywall ceiling but also require effective acoustical performance.
Casey notes acoustics were especially important in the lobby and lounges because of all the glass walls and other hard surfaces. “The clouds are the only absorptive surface in those spaces,” she says. ACOUSTIBUILT ceilings achieve a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) of up to 0.80, indicating they absorb up to 80% of the sound that strikes them. “The staff is quite happy and pleased with the acoustics,” she adds.
A total of 20 clouds were installed in a variety of sizes and shapes. The smallest was approximately 6' x 16' and the largest approximately 11' x 27'. All the clouds are angled and overlap each other by roughly two feet. The result is a visual rhythm that draws visitors into a space. “The clouds create a kind of wayfinding element that draws visitors into the lounge areas,” Casey says. “They impart a really strong visual and are not as static as a flat ceiling. The ceiling also provides the look of drywall we wanted but is acoustically sound.”
Casey notes installation went smoothly. “There were no issues,” she says, “probably because it was so similar to a gypsum ceiling installation.” All the clouds were installed on Armstrong drywall grid systems. Armstrong AXIOM Classic trim was used on the edges.
She also reports lighting was not a problem. Recessed linear lighting was installed in the clouds and cove lighting in the trim. “Installation was pretty straightforward and simple,” she says. “The clouds did not limit the type of lighting that could be installed or their location. They offered a great deal of flexibility.”