Rockfon has presented “Designing Acoustic Ceilings for Healthcare Buildings,” a continuing education course. Participants are eligible to earn 1.0 Learning Units (LU) from the American Institute of Architects’ Continuing Education System (AIA/CES), as well as from other architectural and interior design associations. Please visit online to learn more and register for this in-person course.
“In this accredited course, we take a practical look at the five key challenges for acoustic ceilings in different types of health care facilities and the many interior spaces within them,” says Rockfon acoustic specialist Gary Madaras, Ph.D., Assoc. AIA. “We look at elements that can derail patient outcomes and positive experiences for occupants, and we share acoustic ceiling solutions to create more safe, sustainable, healthy, comfortable, healing interiors.”
Hospitals, medical offices, elder care facilities, pediatric facilities, pharmacies and urgent care clinics are some of the building types represented in the course. Ceiling system components discussed in the presentation include acoustic stone wool ceiling panels, metal ceiling panels and ceiling suspension systems.
Those who successfully complete the course will be able to:
- Recognize the challenges regarding effective acoustical and sustainable design that health care buildings face today, including acoustic safety, room atmosphere and indoor air quality (IAQ)
- Understand how designing health care spaces, while keeping in mind the people who occupy and work in them, leads to a healing environment for the patients, a more productive one for the hospital staff and a more efficient one for caregivers
- Recognize the negative effects of noise, poor IAQ and anti-microbial chemicals can have on the well-being of occupants
- Apply what is learned about acoustical ceilings, holistically, to specific project designs
The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) guidelines for the design and construction of health care facilities and other health care building standards also are covered in the course.
In regard to compliance with FGI’s guidelines, Madaras notes, “This new course covers noise reduction in patient care areas using acoustic ceiling panels with high Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) ratings to help absorb unsafe sound and promote sleeping and healing. It also covers sound insulation and speech privacy between rooms, using either full-height walls or acoustic plenum barriers. This is also important for complying with the oral privacy rules of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).”
According to the educational course, safety and sustainability are key aspects of any health care building’s ceiling design. A ceiling system’s performance and material attributes can impact everyday work conditions. For example, poor light reflectance can lead to eye strain and fatigue, a concern in an industry where vital health information is assessed.
Other key considerations include choosing ceiling panels that do not support the growth of mold or other microorganisms, and cleans with ease. “We don’t add antimicrobials for our products to defend against microbial growth. Firstly, we don’t need them in in our acoustic stone wool panels. Secondly, such chemicals are non-essential and could cause more harm than good,” explains Rockfon’s sustainability manager Christian Kofod.
Rockfon stone wool ceiling products do not have added biocides for end-use considerations and are GREENGUARD GOLD Certified for low chemical emissions. Kofod continues, “We think that these are critical considerations for the most vulnerable patients who are often most susceptible to pollutants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from materials.”
When selecting ceiling material for health care facilities, design professionals can choose performance – IAQ, cleanability and acoustics – plus aesthetics. The Rockfon ceiling portfolio offers a range of colors, textures, edges and dimensions to create healing spaces.
Design professionals interested in learning more about creating acoustic ceilings for health care facilities and earning the professional development credit can register for this and other educational courses at Rockfon.com.
In addition to AIA/CES LUs, the Rockfon course is registered and approved by the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC), the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC). IDCEC-approved courses offer continuing education units (CEUs) to members of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the Interior Designers of Canada (IDC).