Inova Health System recently opened a new 12-story, 660,000-square-foot building that houses two distinct facilities, Inova Women’s Hospital and Inova Children’s Hospital. Located on the Fairfax Medical Campus in Falls Church, Virginia, the two facilities collectively house 310 private patient beds.
Because noise control plays such an important role in healing, safety, and the well-being of patients and staff alike, the design team at Wilmot Sanz Architecture, of Gaithersburg, MD, knew acoustics would be a key consideration in the interior environment of both facilities.
One way the design team met its objective was the selection of Ultima® Total Acoustics™ ceiling panels from Armstrong® Ceiling Solutions for use in much of the building, including patient rooms, treatment rooms, corridors, nurses’ stations, and consultation rooms. Nearly 400,000 square feet were installed in an Armstrong Prelude® suspension system with Axiom® perimeter trim.
Ceiling Panels Absorb and Block Noise
“The acoustic performance of the ceiling was an important consideration,” states senior architectural designer Yiling Mackay. “Women who arrive to give birth or receive other medical care are under a lot of stress. As a result, we wanted to create an environment to help them feel more comfortable. One way to do that was to reduce the noise level.”
Ultima ceiling panels help accomplish that goal by providing Total Acoustics™ performance, meaning they both absorb noise in a space (NRC of 0.70) and keep it from traveling into adjacent spaces (CAC of 35). In addition to aiding patient comfort and recuperation, the panels can also help improve HCAHPS survey results as well as address HIPAA requirements.
Selected for use in the nurseries and NICUs at the hospital were Optima® ceiling panels (NRC of 0.90) from Armstrong. “Sound absorption was the key criterion here,” Mackay says, “because young babies are so sensitive to noise.”
With their ability to both absorb noise and block it from traveling into adjacent spaces, Ultima® Total Acoustics™ ceiling panels aid patient comfort and recuperation while helping keep private conversations private.
Wood-Look Metal Ceilings Add Warmth
To help alleviate the stress of arriving patients, durable Armstrong MetalWorks™ RH200 ceilings in a Dark Cherry Effects™ wood look finish were chosen for many of the public spaces, including the main lobby.
“Even though they are metal, the warm, natural wood look of the ceilings imparts a welcoming quality to the space,” she says. Acoustically, the metal panels are perforated and backed with an acoustical infill for added noise reduction. Nearly 6,000 square feet of the metal ceilings were installed.
To provide additional sound control in the lobby area, the design team selected two different Armstrong SoundScapes® Shapes acoustical clouds. Offered in multiple standard sizes and shapes as well as custom, the clouds are designed to define spaces and reduce noise in open areas.
Square clouds were installed vertically on a back wall in the main concourse. “We wanted additional absorption in this very open area to reduce noise since there were so many hard surfaces,” Mackay states. Circular clouds were installed on the ceiling over each of the lobby’s registration stations. “The circular shapes not only add an interesting visual element but also provide spot acoustics to help ensure patient privacy,” she says.
For more information on these and other acoustical ceiling solutions, please visit www.armstrongceilings.com.
Related Stories
| May 29, 2012
Reconstruction Awards Entry Information
Download a PDF of the Entry Information at the bottom of this page.
| May 24, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Entry Form
Download a PDF of the Entry Form at the bottom of this page.
| May 23, 2012
New hospitals invest in data centers to manage growth in patient info
Silver Cross became one of the first hospitals to install patient tracking software so families know where a patient is at all times. New communication equipment supports wireless voice and data networks throughout the hospital, providing access to patients and their families while freeing clinicians to use phones and computers where needed instead of based on location.
| May 22, 2012
Batson-Cook names Partin VP of Business Development
Partin joins general contractor from Georgia Hospital Association.
| May 16, 2012
Balfour Beatty Construction taps Kiger as VP of operations
Kiger will manage current relationships and pursue other strategic clients, including select healthcare clients and strategic project pursuits in the Central Tennessee region.
| May 7, 2012
4 more trends in higher-education facilities
Our series on college buildings continues with a look at new classroom designs, flexible space, collaboration areas, and the evolving role of the university library.
| May 7, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: Fort Belvoir Community Hospital
A new military hospital invokes evidence-based design to create a LEED-certified facility for the nation’s soldiers and their families.
| May 7, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital
How a Building Team created a high-tech rehabilitation center for wounded veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
| May 3, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: Rush University Medical Center
This fully integrated Building Team opted for a multi-prime contracting strategy to keep construction going on Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center, despite the economic meltdown.
| May 3, 2012
Ground broken for $94 million hospital expansion at Scripps Encinitas
New facility to more than double emergency department size, boost inpatient beds by 43%.