Page 41 - spaces4learning, January/February 2020

RIBBONS OF WOOD ADDED TO CAFETERIA CEILING
SECURING THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS’ CAMPUS
CASE HISTORIES spaces4learning
Wood Canopies from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions add warmth to the Polytech High School cafeteria.
Polytech High School in Woodside, DE, recently completed a number of construction projects to update the aging facility. Included among them was an extensive renovation of the cafeteria. Among the design challenges was the desire to create a much more open feeling in the space and impart a sense of movement and motion in it.
To create more open space, Maureen Rozanski, Director of Interiors for BSA+A in Wilmington, DE, explains, “We kept the existing skylights, but essentially gutted everything else, from tearing down perimeter walls to removing the existing ceiling. We wanted to create a space that was active, engaging, and would impart more life.”
To visually achieve that goal in the new exposed structure, the design team created ribbons of wood comprised of WoodWorks® Canopies from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions in
a Light Cherry finish. Available in hills and valleys, the wood veneer ceiling canopies are adjustable to different heights and angles. “By connecting the hills and valleys, we were able to form flowing ribbons of wood that also add warmth to the space,” Rozanski notes.
The architect also notes the ribbons were installed in a basket-weave pattern that winds its way through the light fixtures. “By designing ribbons that run perpendicular to each other, we were able to create even more visual interest,” she says. The ribbons were installed in two layers, one above
the other.
The canopies are all 72”x 36” in size and standard
products even though they impart a custom look. A total of 74 panels were installed with the longest ribbon being eight canopies long.
The National Center for International Schools in San Francisco has increased security on their campus with the use of high- resolution video surveillance technology.
The National Center for International Schools (NCIS) houses both the Chinese American International School and French American International School in San Francisco. Both these pK–12 schools pride themselves on rigorous academic training, combined with cultural awareness and investigation.
The two schools joined together in an educational and bond-generating venture known as the National Center for International Schools in 1994 and purchased the former Caltrans building located in the middle of the city.
After considerable remodeling and upgrades to the building, the schools now share a vibrant and functional campus, where security is a major priority in order to deter criminal activity and protect both students and staff. Security concerns in and around the perimeter of the school have become a challenge, and deploying security cameras in strategic positions to deter inap- propriate conduct and preserve potential evidence for reported incidents has become of prime importance.
With its many students and staff at the schools, exterior mon- itoring, such as on the sidewalks and streets within and around the property, has become as important as security measures taken within the campus itself.
Recently, the NCIS launched a project to update and improve visual monitoring of the overall campus. Now, NCIS’s overall video surveillance includes a multitude of VIVOTEK solutions. For special circumstances and requirements for the exterior of the campus, NCIS’s new video surveillance system features five VIVOTEK network cameras, including two multiple sensor-adjustable cameras.
“Clear video from VIVOTEK’s cameras have been of great assistance to NCIS and the San Francisco Police Department in the course of investigating a wide variety of security and safety incidents, including some criminal activity,” says Daniel Klingebiel, NCIS executive director. “We have worked with various brands of IP cameras. Ultimately, we have standardized on and now only use VIVOTEK cameras due to their superior quality, standardized configuration, and ease-of-installation.”
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