Miami University of Ohio | Acoustics & Light


The Challenge:

The Armstrong Student Center at Miami University of Ohio is designed to provide the 16,000 students with a home of their own on campus. 

One of the signature spaces within the Student Center is The Commons, a dining and gathering place with tiered seating for more than 450 students.

When designing the space, the design team wanted a ceiling that would create visual interest and control acoustics in the large, open space. “We wanted to create interest in a place where people wanted to be,” says design team member Samantha Delabar. “Acoustics was also important so we could keep the noise from bouncing around in the space.”

Acoustics also played a role in the design of the Galleria, a long, two-story corridor adjacent to the dining area. Here the design team wanted a ceiling that would control noise in the busy walkway while reflecting light from the exterior windows back into the space.  

The Solution:

In both spaces, the design team addressed all these criteria with two unique designs from Armstrong METALWORKS RH215 Faceted Custom Ceiling Systems.

The design team chose a wave-shaped ribbon design for the 2,300- foot ceiling above the dining area. The wave-shaped ribbons were created by suspending rows of 12" x 56" white metal ceiling panels on a curved suspension system. Each wave is enclosed by field-cut pieces of white metal trim.

For the 6,900-foot ceiling above the Galleria, the design team chose a barrel vault design. The vaulted ceiling was created by suspending 18" by 105" white metal ceiling panels on a curved suspension system above the corridor. “The curvilinear shape and reflectiveness of the vaulted white ceiling helps bounce the natural light from the windows back down into the space,” says Delabar.

Perforated and backed with acoustical fleece, both custom ceiling systems have an NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) of 0.65, absorbing 65 percent of the sound that strikes them. “In spaces this large, where students gather and people walk back and forth, these metal ceilings provide the necessary acoustical control,” she adds. 

Project: Armstrong Student Center at Miami University

Location: Oxford, OH

Architect: BHDP Architecture, Columbus, OH

Products: METALWORKS RH215 Faceted Ceiling Systems