USG Boral has announced that the first multi-component monolithic acoustical ceiling system available for Australian projects, Ensemble, has been launched.

Ensemble has been developed to meet the sound-scaping needs of architects and interior designers who want a non-directional, smooth ceiling effect with no visible joint or perforations. It consists of an integrated system of mineral property ceiling panels to achieve what normal plasterboard cannot aesthetically deliver.

There are three key elements to Ensemble:

1. Highly engineered USG Boral Sheetrock Ensemble panels perforated to absorb sound. The porous acoustical veils are laminated to the front and back of the panels and additional sound insulation material can be installed on the back of the panel to enhance the acoustic performance.
2. Ensemble panels that are screw-attached to a modified plasterboard suspension system.
3. After panel installation the system is completed with USG Boral Ensemble Spray-Applied Finish to create a monolithic appearance with tiny irregular perforations that allow sounds to pass through.

“The new Ensemble monolithic acoustical ceiling system demonstrates the strength and value of the USG Boral joint venture. The development of this new system was a collaboration of the technological expertise of USG and the manufacturing capabilities of Boral to create a solution to a very real problem in the Australian building design market,” says USG Boral category manager of ceilings Susan Lawrence.

Ensemble is rated at up to 0.80 Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) and 50 Ceiling Attenuation Class (CAC), making it ideal for high-end ceiling applications where acoustic performance is critical and hard surfaces dominate. These include museums, libraries, schools, sporting facilities, corporate office foyers, hotel lobbies and conference centres.

Ensemble has already been used on an installation in Australia as part of the refurbishment of the heritage atrium of the National Trust-listed office building, Chancery House, in Perth.

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with both the architects and installers very pleased with the outcome,” says Susan.