Before an interior space can be built, it first needs to be designed. However, architects and designers find themselves under constant pressure to do more with less time and money. Between modeling from scratch and fixing errors in the specifications, more time is spent elsewhere than on meaningful design.
Specialty ceilings are intricate assemblies and often complicated to design, but with the right assistance, they become integral in driving adoption, referral and early ACT specification. High-design ceilings are a perfect addition as the focal point of a space, but instilling confidence in the design’s feasibility among project stakeholders can often cause challenges in the design phase.
Designing with Revit
Revit has streamlined and revolutionized building information modeling, but its out-of-the-box functionality can often leave little to be desired the more complex a ceiling design becomes.
Interior designers need speed and functionality in order to have the freedom to explore creative expression but cannot afford to get bogged down in manual and labor-intensive processes. Architects are also critical users of Revit, managing the entire project and responsible for accuracy of integral construction documents while focusing on design efficiency and meeting owner/contractor deliverables. Finally, BIM managers, while typically not focused on the design, must ensure that the technical aspects of the firm’s digital tools are safe and effective to use to drive efficiency and productivity of the firm.
Each of these groups deserves a tool that can accommodate each of their specific needs and encompass a holistic approach to specifying specialty ceilings.
Plug-In and Play
What used to take hours now takes minutes with USG Ceiling Technix. This first-to-market Revit plug-in makes designing and specifying ceilings faster, easier and more accurate, leading to time savings and increased efficiency in one easy-to-use plug-in.
This new tool is available as a Revit plug-in and allows users to specify the product finish, ceiling offset, levels of acoustical performance, placement and desired shape of their USG ceiling layout with ease. Once selected, the algorithms within USG Ceiling Technix automatically generate the desired ceiling, freeing up time for more meaningful design considerations.
Modifications Made Easy
After a space has been created, the tool allows for easy updates to ceiling designs as well as options to increase the acoustical qualities of the space. When designers are ready to specify, USG Ceiling Technix generates customized architectural specifications based on the USG ceilings in their project. If there are any changes in the design, updated customized specifications can be easily downloaded to reflect any changes made. This effectively streamlines the export of product requirements, like sustainability, edge and grid details, acoustics and finishes.
No longer will designers and specifiers have to manually coordinate or input product data themselves—USG Ceiling Technix does the heavy lifting for them.
Setting the Standard
During testing of this plug-in, design professionals involved in the pilot program allowed their models “to be realistic and honest for the client” and found it “great for more specialized designs that are hard to visualize in 3D.” The tool also provided a method to “help production and streamline the process” and was overall helpful in both “schematic design” and “transmitting and sharing…information to the contractor.”
The design community stands to gain a valuable resource with the USG Ceiling Technix, offering them the opportunity to design, iterate and specify with ease. With valuable time back on their schedules, architects and designers will be empowered to specify the best possible solutions.
Design with Confidence
USG Ceiling Technix represents a first-of-its-kind digital tool created to give design professionals valuable time back in their process and the ability to design with confidence. With seamless integration into Revit that will not bloat your model, this new tool can make all the difference during ceiling design and specification.
Learn more about USG Ceiling Technix here.
