Grill ceiling completes the look of the Northbrook College development

A West Sussex college that has undergone significant development has been enhanced with the addition of a stunning grill ceiling, manufactured by Hunter Douglas, a global leader in architectural products.

The third phase of development at Northbrook College, in Worthing, saw an extension and refurbishment of the construction trades and engineering workshops and classrooms at a cost of £2.2 million.

It was designed by ECE Architecture, which called for a solid timber grill ceiling for the common areas and reception.

Hunter Douglas Architectural, which also undertook the manufacture of 300m² ceilings during the college’s first two developments, supplied a further 300m² of solid timber grill in 4-90-15-45 module in African Ayous stained to look like European Oak.

The solid wood grill panels are constructed using black aluminium dowels, which are clipped onto a black grid system, making an unobtrusive suspension system but allowing easy access into the void.

Thanks to the flexibility of the design, the architect was able to specify both the slat thickness and depth, together with the spacing, to ensure it looked stunning and achieved maximum technical performance.

Kevin Taylor, Technical Sales Manager at Hunter Douglas, said African Ayous was selected because it is hard wearing, has an aesthetically pleasing grain and can be stained to suit the desired look within any building.

“The original specification was for oak, but that is a very expensive option and because the budget was unable to stretch to that, we were able to undertake a value engineering exercise and recommend the use of African Ayous,” he said.

“It looks and feels like oak, which means that the client has achieved the desired look without having to compromise on quality. The system design also allows for easy access to services, such as the air conditioning units.”

Hunter Douglas Architectural worked with the architect to undertake all the layout working drawings from the Autocad design to ensure that the specification and panel dimensions were accurate.

With just-in-time grill manufacture, it was delivered to Madisons Interiors of Woolwich, which installed the ceiling quickly and easily, thanks to the simple, yet effective design that Hunter Douglas Architectural has devised for the system.

“Our ceiling complements the modern and vibrant feel of this latest third phase of development,” said Kevin. “We are pleased that our expertise and advice has helped to deliver a great-looking ceiling in the receptions and common areas of the college. This project was completed in just nine months from start to finish, which is a great achievement.”