Combination of softly curved ceiling and soft, fabric-covered walls
results in an upscale building lobby that has the 'feel' of an art gallery

Partnership, innovation and solutions are also three key words that describe the design and installation of a unique, vaulted metal ceiling in the lobby of Venture Center III, one of the newest facilities on the campus. 

As a result of collaboration between the architect, interior finishes contractor and ceiling manufacturer, the recently opened office building not only features a lobby that has an upscale "look," but also one that has the "feel" of an art gallery.

Located adjacent to NC State's main campus in Raleigh, the sprawling 1,334-acre Centennial Campus is a research "community" where university, industry and government partners interact in multi-disciplinary programs directed toward the solution of contemporary problems. 

Situated around a small, picturesque lake, the campus consists of several R&D "neighborhoods" supported by an advanced technology infrastructure.  One of the neighborhoods, called Venture Center, is home to a number of entrepreneurial businesses as well as organizations that can offer consulting services to the incubator companies.

New Center Will Encompass Five Office Buildings
When complete in 2003, the Center will consist of five buildings totaling 478,000 square feet of space.  Four of the buildings will house office and research space, while the fifth, called Venture Place, will also feature retail and food services.  Privately developed by Craig Davis Properties, Inc, Venture Center is being constructed by J.D. Beam, Inc., of Raleigh.
The newest of the five-building cluster to open is called Venture III, and features 115,000 square feet of office space. Venture III, as well as Venture I and II, was designed by the architectural firm of Jenkins Peer of Charlotte.  Founded in 1978, Jenkins Peer is well known in the Southeast for its work in educational facilities. 
According to Tyke Jenkins, a principal of the firm, one of the highlights of the new Venture III facility is the vaulted metal ceiling that greets tenants and visitors when they enter the building's lobby. 
Jenkins explains that this lobby is more upscale than those in the other Venture buildings.  "The lobbies in Venture I and II are more traditional," he states.  "In the case of Venture III, the developer wanted a lobby that would be more of a treat to the eye."

Metal Ceiling Ties Interior and Exterior Together
Jenkins and his design team chose an Armstrong METALWORKS RH200 curved ceiling in a silver gray finish for the lobby.  "We used anodized aluminum on the exterior of the building.  By using the same color steel in the lobby, we were able to tie the interior and exterior together."

Acoustics were also considered, and in this regard, the team chose a perforated vault with acoustical fleece rather than a nonperforated vault.  "The perforations provide an opening for sound to enter and be absorbed, rather than striking a hard surface and be reflected.  We wanted some degree of acoustic control in the lobby, and this provides it."

The lobby itself measures 14 feet in width and runs the entire length of the building, connecting a courtyard on one end to the soon-to-open Venture Place on the other.  The ceiling design features a pair of suspended, symmetrical vaults separated by a slot down the middle that contains light fixtures, sprinklers and HVAC elements. 

Metal Ceiling System Easy to Install
Installation of the ceiling was handled by Paul Barbour & Sons, Inc., an interior finishes contracting firm based in Fuquay-Varina, NC.  The 12-year-old firm services the entire Piedmont area, and conducts the bulk of its work in institutions, schools and Class A offices.  Approximately 75% of its work is in acoustical ceilings, including all of the ceiling work in the Venture Center complex.

According to Andy Denning, the firm's vice-president, the Venture III project was unique in that it was his company's first installation of an Armstrong metal ceiling. "There was some apprehension in the beginning, which is to be expected when you're installing a manufacturer's new product for the first time," he states. "However, when the materials arrived, we soon discovered that the design and engineering behind the system made installation easy.  We've installed other specialty ceiling systems, and compared to them, this one went extremely well."

Architectural Specialist on Hand to Help
Denning notes that one of the factors that made the installation easier was the presence of one of Armstrong's Architectural Specialties representatives at the site at the start of the job.  Architectural Specialties is Armstrong's consultative service that provides project management for the company's METALWORKS and WOODWORKSä ceiling systems.  It is comprised of specialists with expertise in both architecture and engineering who partner with customers throughout the design and installation of signature metal and wood ceilings.

"Since this was our first Armstrong metal ceiling job, we were not familiar with the suspension system," Denning notes.  "Having the specialist on hand the first day, however, made the job go very smoothly.  Our mechanics soon got the feel of the system, and felt very comfortable putting it up."

Metal Plank Ceiling Planned for Venture Place
Denning and his mechanics will soon get another chance to install a metal ceiling system since the lobby in the new Venture Place facility will feature Armstrong's METALWORKS Plank ceiling.  Compared to Venture III, this ceiling will be flat instead of curved, and made of steel instead of aluminum.

Jenkins explains that the design team used a flat metal ceiling here instead of a vault because the building is much smaller than Venture III and the lobby is not as long.  "The Venture Place lobby simply did not lend itself as well to a curved ceiling."

Jenkins also notes that Venture IV, the final building in the complex, is now in the design phase.  The ceiling for this facility has not yet been determined, but based on the Venture III experience, you can bet that its design and installation will incorporate the same spirit of partnership, innovation and solutions that pervades the entire Centennial Campus.