What is a sustainable ceiling?

Interesting question. After doing some research, I've come to believe that "green" is nothing more than marketing spin, while "sustainability" is a method of design. While "green" has its roots deeply embedded in excellent goals, it has been reduced over the years to an apparent positioning race. "Sustainability," from a product standpoint, encompasses everything from a product's raw material content to how it's handled through manufacturing and shipping, during and after installation, as well as throughout the life of the installation. Performance characteristics like light reflectance and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) are also key issues, but they tend to be overlooked. I think a lot of people get hung up on what the product is made of and how far away it must be shipped from its point of origin—and lose track of what happens once it's in place, what's the impact on the people who will live and work in close proximity to the product.

From a product standpoint, sustainability is more than just a one-sentence definition. It starts with raw material composition, then flows through natural performance characteristics like fire resistance, acoustical properties, light reflectance, and eventually ends up with such practical matters as maintenance requirements and longevity.

Is there any particular aspect of USG ceilings with regard to sustainability that stands out in comparison to other manufacturers?

Indoor environmental quality, or IEQ. To me, that is probably the single most important part of sustainability. People have to live, breathe and work in close proximity to these building materials and USG has products that surpass anything currently out there in terms of environmental quality. We have ceiling panels that are formaldehyde-free, and some are VOC-free, which is extremely important.

How do you effectively use sustainable products in a built environment?

Recently we completed some marketing and research on the built environment–specifically healthcare, education and office buildings–and talked to owners, designers, etc. In the past, the walls, ceilings, lighting, and HVAC were all designed and installed in separate silos. The hope was that you might end up with a habitable environment. What we need now is design integration; that is, better product and system design. Building product manufacturers need to partner with other building product manufacturer segments. We need a better understanding of how the HVAC affects the ceiling, a better understanding of how light reflectance and overall lighting in the room affects the built environment.

We need a more balanced approach. It's not just a fire rating, but how the fire rating affects the acoustical rating, how the acoustical rating affects the light reflectance… They're all intertwined and it's a much broader integrated solution than in the past.

Is there anyplace where a more integrated approach is being taught?

I had the opportunity to speak to the School of Architecture at Rice University and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Cal-Poly and they both talked about the same thing, interdisciplinary design. In the past, professionals from different design disciplines never interacted. Just as the manufacturer of ceiling tiles would not talk to the lighting manufacturer, the mechanical engineer would not talk to the structural engineer, who would not talk to the architect. What's needed is interaction among various disciplines to make the design more integrated. We are now seeing the different departments of the schools starting to work together.

On the construction side, we are becoming more aware of a team approach to design and construction. In the old days it was called “design/build,” but now it's a different nuance—throughout the design process, the constructor works with the architect, who works with the engineers, all trying to come up with the best design.

Where does USG enter the process?

From working on major projects across the globe, USG has, for years, tried to get into the design as early as possible. Typically, it's always been with the architect, but more recently, because of some of these changes, we find ourselves working with other trade factors in the process. We are also working more with others whose products affect the ceiling or the walls, like lighting or sound masking manufacturers.

Lighting technology has recently changed. Down lighting is less in favor, and designers are leaning more towards indirect lighting. That changes the whole focus of what a ceiling should look and feel like.

Can you comment on light reflectance?

Generally, ceilings are being challenged to become more of a lighting element. Not something that just houses a light fixture, but actually attenuates or reflects the light. That's a major change from the past and a step in the right direction. Studies show that productivity improves if lighting is more natural and more evenly distributed. The ceiling makes that happen.

Any final thoughts on future trends?

I think we're living in an exciting time. While there is the potential doom and gloom of global warming, the tremendous strides in technology and awareness give me confidence for the future. We're just starting to learn what the future ceiling could look like and the important part it plays in our built environment. 

I'm thinking of things like ceilings changing color—there are actually some in place already. Components within the ceiling can provide a whole wealth of monitoring within the space that we never had before. The ceiling tile can tell you there's a fire in the northeast corner, or there's a water leak in room 412. That is pretty amazing.

There's so much we can be doing. The technology is already here; it's just a matter of putting the pieces together.