Online tool helps specifiers find the right ceiling product for the right room.

An online room selector tool, which helps architects and specifiers by drilling down what mineral ceiling systems are best for individual rooms and spaces, has been launched by leading manufacturer Armstrong Ceiling Solutions.

Available through the Applications section of its website https://www.armstrongceilingsolutions.co.uk/en-gb/applications, the intuitive tool gives interactive advice for all the sectors Armstrong operates in – office/commercial, retail, education, healthcare, hospitality and leisure, and transportation.

For each of these, it details the challenges and solutions in general for ceiling specification in each room or space and lists the relevant products for the increasingly important factor of occupant wellbeing, whether it be a new-build or refurbishment project.

Taking offices/commercial as an example, the selector tool advices on spaces such as the lobby/reception area, conference room, corridor, café, private office and open office/collaboration area – each of which has unique requirements.

The challenge for office spaces is that often employees cite the intrusion of unwanted noise as a leading factor in workplace dissatisfaction. This unwanted noise typically relates to “speech privacy” in which employees overhear loud, unwanted conversations from other people sharing the same environment. This can then lead to reduced effectiveness and increased stress levels.

The solution is that in open plan, focus or collaborative spaces, the main function of the ceiling is to absorb sound that would normally bounce off the ceiling into a nearby space or cubicle and block sound from mechanicals in the plenum.

It advises that ceiling tiles with balanced acoustics, offering the ideal combination of sound absorption and sound blocking, provide the right balance, even when employees are concentrating one minute and collaborating the next.

And some of the products recommended are the showcase mineral tiles Optima OP, Sierra OP, Perla 1.00 and 0.95 and Ultima+, as well as Axiom canopies which can add personality to a space as well as acoustic control.

Relevant case studies show how other specifiers have used such systems to meet their project’s requirements, whether they be acoustic, aesthetic, light-reflectance, durability or ease of installation and maintenance.

More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilingsolutions.co.uk.