Top Notch

Acoustic design ceilings from the Emskirchen-based ceiling systems manufacturer Vogl Deckensysteme have been installed in the conference rooms of the Executive Committee of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and provide an agreeable atmosphere.

The building complex, whose renovation was completed in January 2014, is now completely barrier-free. A masterpiece of craftsmanship in drywall construction is evident in the top floor conference rooms: Due to the roof slant, the installation of the acoustic design ceilings from Vogl Deckensysteme required a high level of manual dexterity.

Under the new roof structure, which is elevated with a continuous horizontal glass joint, the Senate Hall around the roof-top terrace above the atrium presents itself unsupported by pillars. On the opposite side, the new building with a second green staircase and additional office space was erected as a concrete cube to the north of the atrium. The cubical form appears to be almost hovering and separates itself distinctly from the historical building by means of its completely surrounding glass joint.

The "old chemical engineering building" grouped around the so-called court of honour had been abandoned for years when the State Office for Assets and Construction Management in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Karlsruhe office, took on the responsibility for enabling today's KIT Executive Committee to realise its renovation and expansion in keeping with the listed building status. The Karlsruhe architects archis Architekten + Ingenieure GmbH were in charge of the architectural design of the listed building. CEOs Michael Eltrich (project management) and Hermann Landgräber were responsible for the concept design. Also involved were architects Harald Kastner as construction manager and Christian Lyachenko as deputy project manager.

The drywall construction contractor ILIBASIC Akustik und Trockenbau from Heilbronn was commissioned with the interior finishing work. Owner Drazenko Ilibasic puts it this way: "We followed the recommendations of Armin Götzinger, the responsible project consultant of Vogl Deckensysteme, and installed all profiles with vernier suspended brackets and screw connections on the sides of the perforated panels in order to keep them from sliding."

Preventing cracks through expansion joints

The responsible project consultant of Vogl Deckensysteme also contributed advice and guidance. Götzinger recommended to include expansion joints in the ceiling already in the planning phase to avoid later cracking. In drywall construction work, it is not only a matter of using the right materials and the proper working methods, but everything depends ultimately on the knowledge of the construction-physical processes on the ceiling. This is particularly true if various materials are used for the installation of a ceiling. Because, naturally, different materials have completely different properties regarding their expansion behaviour.

On principle, architects and designers go by the following rule of thumb: For large ceiling surfaces, always include expansion joints. For acoustic design ceilings – that is to say perforated plasterboards – expansion joints shall be considered every 10 m or 100 m². It is just as important that the ceiling framework be separated and the plasterboard panel strip above be screwed down on one side only. "To eliminate any chance of cracking caused by movement in the building shell, acoustic ceilings are additionally installed with sliding wall connections", Roos explains.

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