Skyfold Movable Walls

Case study 01

Walter E. Washington Convention Center

 

With Skyfold, a convention center creates new space – without expanding.

Can a convention center expand its meeting area without actually adding new square footage? The answer was a resounding yes for Walter E. Washington Convention Center, where a clever design idea and 17 Skyfold Classic acoustical powerlift partitioning systems captured 48,000 square feet of new flexible meeting space within the original building’s footprint.

 

The retrofit and renovation was the ideal alternative to a costly scheme to build an expansion facility across the street alongside a new hotel project, where estimates came in at many times the convention center’s final budget of $14 million. The secret to success? Making two large registration areas convertible as part-time meeting rooms, a gain of about 20,000 square feet each, whenever needed.

“We saved millions of dollars by retrofitting within our existing center instead of building new, additional meeting space,” says Gregory O’Dell, president and CEO of the Washington Convention and Sports Authority (WCSA). “This also improves our ability to host larger simultaneous or overlapping events.” When the ribbon was cut, WCSA proudly announced, “Skyfold partitions provide a unique and dramatic approach to subdividing space, fully automated and folding vertically into the ceiling.”

On top of that, the resulting transformation has been hailed by event planners and the media alike for its bright, glasswalled meeting rooms overlooking the grand lobby and the 17 innovative vertical “sky walls.” Wrote Washington Business Journal reporter Tierney Plumb, “With the turn of a key, the walls retract down from the ceiling to transform the area within two minutes into nine different meeting room configurations.”

Repositioning a convention center

The Skyfold installation accompanied the conversion of offices into meeting space outfitted with custom carpeting, upgraded lighting, and state-of-the-art electrical and sound systems. “We call it building repositioning,” says Al Gooden, principal in charge of Group Goetz Architects (GGA), Washington, D.C. “For this massive endeavor, Skyfold gave us the opportunity to create a much more flexible interior to appeal to a whole new genre of conventioneers.”

“A lot of our groups, such as medical associations, want more breakout and meeting space, and they are willing to pay more to get it,” says John Collins, vice president of facility operations for the Washington Convention Center.

Working with the design-build partners Forrester Construction and GGA, Collins oversaw a reworked space plan, ceiling replacement, and acoustical upgrades in renovated spaces. Selective demolition was needed to accommodate the retractable wall mechanisms, says Amber Kwasniewski, GGA project designer. “The Skyfold walls actually have better acoustical properties than the conventional walls,” she explains, “because it’s 11 inches thick with an air chamber and acoustical panels on both sides.”

The two sides of the Skyfold partitions faced very different spaces, Gooden recalls, calling for two distinct finish palettes. For the grand lobby side, the team selected a honey-colored wood veneer for lower panels and polished chrome steel above, to help reflect light and brighten the space. On the opposite side, where the Skyfold walls face meeting rooms, three patterns of a Knoll wall covering series, in a color matching the walls and soffits, exude a soft moiré pattern. When retracted, the wall panels blend seamlessly with the drywall soffits, appearing as monolithic ceiling beams.“The image that people have is, ‘Oh, it’s an accordion system going up into the ceiling, so it must be like a garage door,’” says Gooden. “In reality, the sky’s the limit on how we finish it.”

“This improves our ability to host larger and overlapping events.”

Gregory O’Dell, President/Ceo, Wash. Convention & Sports Auth.

Advantages over standard folding walls

Collins was already familiar with the Skyfold partitions from his years in the hospitality industry. “We’ve had movable walls before, the kind that folded sideways from the space, but those took up a lot of floor space, which is at a premium, and were difficult to operate,” Collins explains, adding that the Skyfold partitions use a simple key start and tuck neatly overhead. Now, with the convertible registration zones and space savings from wall storage, “our customers have more square footage that can be better utilized,” says Collins, with 198,000 square feet of meeting space and more than 750,000 square feet of exhibition and ballroom area.

For a recent conference, says Peter Shogren, deputy director for facility operations, Washington Convention Center hosted breakfast in three different sections and then flipped the spaces to two sections for lunch, followed by an evening reception and dinner-dance for 1,000 using two large spaces. “It’s like having twice as much space, and our customers sometimes come up with new ideas on how to use the facility,” says Shogren. “We’re really excited about the product. It’s given us a lot of flexibility.”

The design-build team has the special pleasure of seeing their project solution turn into a business boon for the client. “The great thing about this project was that they turned unrentable space into rentable space,” says Forrester Construction’s senior project manager, Byron Howard, adding that Skyfold is uniquely suited to today’s retrofit situations.

And what of the hotel project across the street ? It’s still going forward, says Collins – and there’s a rumor that Skyfold custom powerlift partitions might be specified for their meeting areas, too.

An economical solution

Rather than build a new wing across the street for many millions of dollars, the Washington Convention Center instead used 17 skyfold classic powerlift partitions to convert registration areas on an as-needed basis into meeting areas. The walls, which are key-operated by the meetings staff, can be quickly deployed to change facility configurations in between events.

 

 

Case study 02

Mitchell Physics Building

 

With Skyfold, an education facility maximises it’s uses - adding flexibility.

Housing one of only three physics institutes in the United States, an impressive new facility at Texas A&M University boasts a six-story atrium with a giant pendulum, a lecture hall named for Stephen Hawking – and a LEED Silver rating.

A gift of oil pioneer George P. Mitchell and designed by the renowned Michael Graves & Associates, this think-tank of physics and astronomy contains 200,000 square feet of labs and classrooms for world-class scientists and undergrads. Inside, a large, steeply raked lecture hall for as many as 468 people offers good views of the day’s speaker or experiment. At the turn of a key, twin Skyfold Classic custom powerlift partitions glide down from the ceiling, creating three rooms for 156 occupants each, within a minute.

 

“With Skyfold, we were able to divide a sloped, stepped space, at an STC of 50.”

Mark Sullivan, AIA, LEED AP Senior Associate, Michael Graves

“We had never used Skyfold before, but we were looking for a solution to the challenge of dividing a sloped, stepped space using the least amount of floor space necessary,” says Mark A. Sullivan, AIA, LEED AP, senior associate with Michael Graves. “Another factor was the STC rating of more than 50, which is excellent. Many accordion partitions tend to lose their STC rating over time as the sliding reduces the effectiveness of their gaskets. Skyfold walls maintain their acoustical performance over time, and that was a big factor – you don’t want to hear the rock concert next door when you’re trying to give a test.”

Dividing uses

Highly regarded for its prowess in the sciences, Texas A&M’s physics department had been growing quickly. The new Mitchell physics complex links an elliptical, 45,000-square-foot institute for physics and astronomy, by bridge, to the main physics building, “the department’s workhorse,” Sullivan quips. The result is undergraduates rubbing elbows with senior researchers and faculty, which can cause friction. The large auditorium needed maximum flexibility for lectures, events and other programming. According to John Collins of RSM Services, more education facilities are now opting for stepped walls to resolve varied schedules within large, multiple-use learning spaces. “It does seem to be a popular trend, and the endusers love Skyfold’s performance,” he says. Sophisticated engineering and tight tolerances allow the Skyfold walls to properly mate and seal with each riser, independently and automatically. The partition system’s weight is distributed along the entire span, eliminating high concentration loads that increase structural steel costs for traditional systems.

For the shared lecture hall, this meant flexibility and ease of use, whether for physics club meetings or high-level science symposia. “We just hosted a large, international conference for 250 people,” says Melanie Becker, a Texas A&M professor. “It was very successful thanks to this much, much nicer space.”

Successful models

In fact, Collins notes that the Texas A&M project design team toured a similar installation at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, or UMDNJ. There, two large Powerlift walls also divide a large auditorium into three lecture halls. “One of the best ways to understand the benefits of Skyfold is to come watch them work. Even if it’s just a video clip, they say wow,” says Collins. “But seeing them in action at UMDNJ helped the architect decide to use Skyfold in the first place.”

 

A common challenge

As more educational facilities opt for stepped walls to resolve varied schedules with a single, multiple-use auditorium, Skyfold offers an effective, lasting solution. The partitions are carefully engineered to properly and completely seal against the risers’ horizontal and vertical surfaces, resulting in a very high STC rating. The Texas A&M design team visited other schools using Skyfold partitions in this way, including the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

After electing to recommend Skyfold, the project architects addressed key technical questions with Texas A&M’s facilities team, headed by Bill Scott, construction project manager, and Randy Wipke, area manager for six Texas A&M University System campuses. Chief questions asked included:

• Clearance overhead? The folding ratio is 10:1.
• Acoustical properties? Skyfold Classic has an STC rating of 51, due to its thick, 10-1/4” construction of steel plates separated by an anechoic air chamber.
• Visual appearance? The team reviewed aesthetics in both raised and lowered positions, selecting custom fabric and eucalyptus finishes.
• Closure of side seals? Acoustical seals engage the walls automatically – no receiving track needed.
• Quietness and simplicity of operation? The retracting walls make almost no sound at all, and a few professors and even students have keys to operate their spring-loaded switches.

The team unanimously agreed to use Skyfold, with a neutral color palette to offset a splash of maroon carpet – a nod to the Aggies official color.

For science – and sustainability

Functional and fluid, the auditorium serves as the heart of an innovative, sustainable building that meets the goals of Texas A&M’s master plan and green mandates. “It was one of the first buildings on campus to pursue a LEED rating,” says the architect Sullivan, adding that the Skyfold walls contain recycled steel and aluminum.

On the outside, the complex is true to the signature and storied profile of Michael Graves himself. Three kinds of brick and custom shading delineate crisp, geometric lines – and protect the labs inside from the intense Texas sun. Large expanses of glazing add character and scale to the building, projecting an image as scientific as its true mission.

“I hope these buildings will provide an innovative and inspiring atmosphere for students and faculty to study, teach, research and enjoy,” says George P. Mitchell, the project’s chief patron. “I believe that the physics program at Texas A&M will continue to foster important research and attract outstanding students and faculty from all over the world.”

 

Case study 03

Blue Valley Southwest High School

 

Strategically placed, easy-to-use and durable — Skyfold retracting walls maximize flexibility and space at a new Kansas high school.

Schools old and new have relied on operable walls for ages to make educational and extracurricular spaces more flexible. Yet, for Blue Valley Southwest High, a new campus located in a 21,000-student district in the bustling Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, the project team broke with tradition by upgrading to Skyfold.

Frustrated with the maintenance and operational issues associated with standard operable partitions – including the set-up time and the lack of consistent acoustical performance – Scott Crain, director of design and construction for the district, searched for a different solution.

 

“The goal was to improve space options while maximizing return-on-investment, or ROI. Working with Topeka’s HTK Architects, Chicago’s Perkins+Will and general contractor Crossland Construction, the group acted to reduce construction cost, maximize the usable square footage of the building, and lower the maintenance over the life of the partitions,” say Mike Bono, president of Abbey Simons, a Kansas City-based supplier of window treatments, folding doors and operable partitions. Two applications were needed, according to Gary Howard, athletic director and vice principal: Separation between the main and auxiliary gyms and four “flex” classrooms adjacent to a student gathering area. The wall in the flex classrooms can be raised to create double-sized learning areas accommodating 60 students.

“This was the first time we considered using Skyfold after numerous projects with typical sliding partitions,” says HTK Architects’ project leader, Burke Kitchen, AIA. “Paired horizontal partitions with drop-bottom seals don’t tend to last very long – the seals lose the ability to operate and sometimes get snagged in the carpets. For the big wall between the two gyms, opening and closing a manually operated sliding-type wall takes time, strength and skill. The school planned to use the wall multiple times per day, so Skyfold’s quick operation was a plus.”

Beyond complementing the architectural look of this state-of-the-art secondary school, the Skyfold wall systems offered other benefits as well. First, the project team anticipated a 40% savings in structural steel costs for the related wall areas because the Skyfold partitions weigh less than typical operable walls. Add to that further savings in maintenance costs and the increase in usable space – no floor stack is required – and the high ROI was obvious. The estimated payback for using Skyfold would be three to six years.

“The wall is used multiple times per day, so Skyfold's quick operation is a plus.”

Burke Kitchen, AIA, Project Architect, HTK Architects

A number of additional benefits were considered by Scott Crain and his team. Among the most important:

• Acoustical performance: Constructed of steel panels separated by an anechoic air chamber, the approximately 12-inch-thick Skyfold® Classic™ offered an STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating of 51 and would be ideal for the noise control needed between the gyms. For the flexible classrooms, Skyfold Eclipse™ also provided good, low-cost sound control.
• Ease of operation: The Skyfold powerlift partitions are completely automated. With the turn of a key and constant pressure on the buttons, teachers can easily deploy or retract the walls in minutes whenever needed without assistance by janitorial or facilities staff.
• Reduced maintenance: “Conventional sideretracting walls may be a less expensive option based on initial cost,” says Kitchen “But they require extensive maintenance. Skyfold is a very low-maintenance product.”
• Fast, quiet operation: Skyfold’s Classic™ and Eclipse™ powerlift walls are virtually silent when in motion. The acoustical seals automatically engage the side walls, floors, and ceiling – ensuring consistent acoustical performance even over time.
• Truly flexible space: Many districts are now managing with less space and fewer personnel. The ability to reconfigure space more quickly (even between classes), reducing labor costs and increasing the utilization of space plus other long term benefits, explains why even cash-strapped school districts are choosing Skyfold.

The designers at HTK Architects and Perkins+Will made Blue Valley Southwest one of the country’s most beautiful and state-of-the-art high schools, selected by Newsweek for its prestigious Top U.S. Schools list. From its theatrical central courtyard to the smooth concrete floors and large windows throughout, the facility is strikingly attractive yet simply detailed and cost-conscious. Skyfold was a natural specification: In both retracted and deployed positions, the walls are attractive – with custom panel finishes in easy - care vinyl to match the architectural interiors. White was selected for the gymnasium to seamlessly integrate with the clean, painted walls; off-white for the flex classrooms complements the school’s contemporary interiors.

For Burke Kitchen at HTK Architects, the proof of Skyfold’s value is in the ease of use and efficient facility operations. “Reactions concerning the Skyfold partitions have been positive. Both Scott Crain and Gary Howard, previously at another high school, had experience with the other type of folding operable walls,” says Kitchen “They’ve been pleased with the Skyfold walls.”

 

Case study 04

Fairmont Pacific Rim

 

Skyfold Classic 51™ converts floor area from a service corridor into functional space for this ultramodern, high-tech Vancouver hotel.

Capturing back-of-house hotel space for front-of-house use is no easy feat. Yet that’s what a last-minute retrofit achieved in a clever reworking of the award-winning design of Fairmont Pacific Rim, a five-star property featuring ultramodern interiors. A brainstorming session for increasing floor area and flexibility of the function rooms led to the ingenious expansion opportunity, opening up the walls to a shared service corridor and kitchen to expand the hotel’s popular ballrooms.

Two ballrooms – one large and one small – were originally separated by the corridor’s fixed walls. The new layout called for demolishing the walls to make it one very large space. The Skyfold Classic 51 acoustical powerlift partitioning system was installed at the midpoint of the former corridor. In this way, Fairmont Pacific Rim gained the flexibility of having a supersized ballroom with the wall up – or, with the partition deployed, two back-to-back function spaces, each now about 3.5 feet wider.

 

The hotel solution brings an elegant, modern visual appeal and new ways to divide the ballroom. Even better, the hotel can now market a very large ballroom, something they didn’t have before. And instead of two traditional operable walls back-to-back, which the hotel is using in other locations, it’s just a single, 12-inch-thick Skyfold powerlift partition that meets and exceeds the required level of acoustical performance.

Best-quality operable partition

To accomplish the task, the team selected a Skyfold Classic 51™ acoustical powerlift partitioning system to maximize interior flexibility while blending harmoniously with its modern design and detailing. “They decided they could eliminate that service corridor and still have sufficient back-of-house functionality,” says Jim Edgecombe, the Skyfold dealer for Vancouver, B.C. “The 56-foot-long partition retracts into the ceiling in just under three minutes.”

So when the 16-foot-tall Skyfold partition is closed, the Fairmont Pacific Rim has two attractive rooms (one large, one small) with full acoustical separation and privacy behind sleek matching wallcovering – and no visual evidence that it’s an operable wall, Edgecombe adds.

According to hotel engineers and managers, the Skyfold Classic 51 requires little maintenance and is easier to operate than other retracting walls. The staff has been thrilled with the operation, flexibility and sound performance that the powerlift partition system delivers.

Skyfold’s precision engineering, finish options and fast, reliable operation also matched the transformative ideas brought to the 800,000-square-foot waterfront hotel by real estate developer Westbank Projects Corp. and their design team, led by architect James KM Cheng Architects and interior architect B+H CHIL Design. The concept positioned Fairmont Pacific Rim as “the first contemporary Fairmont Hotel in Canada,” according to Claudia Leccacorvi, a project designer with B+H CHIL Design. New standards for the property’s modern décor included a standard walnut wood and a signature statuario marble, as well as custom light fixtures and vinyl wallcovering.

The Skyfold powerlift partition – another new Fairmont standard – was added later with matching surfaces. Sleek and carefully detailed, the Skyfold powerlift partition has no exposed tracks, and its reveals are slender and consistent – an ideal complement to the hotelier’s vision of a sophisticated, cosmopolitan image.

“Skyfold’s precision engineering and acoustics earned it preferred status.”

Steve Miller, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Skyfold

Best-quality operable partition

The Skyfold Classic 51™ partition boosts the flexibility of the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s 15,000 square feet of versatile function space in ways unlike standard retractable walls. “It’s a precision-engineered, resilient partition designed for a highly controlled acoustical environment,” says Steve Miller, Skyfold’s vice president of sales and marketing. “These properties are very different from conventional retracting walls; the Classic is literally two steel walls nearly 12 inches apart with an air chamber and acoustical panels between them.”

In addition, the Skyfold partition can accommodate a variety of finishes as specified by the designers. When it’s not needed, the wall system retracts fully into a ceiling pocket in minutes, blending with the ceiling plane – a visually clean, minimal look that attracted the hotel project team. Another benefit is the simple, quiet operation of the partition: The 16-foot-tall partition fully retracts or deploys in about three minutes; a 9-foot-tall Skyfold model takes about 60 seconds.

In business terms, the new ballroom layout offers more rentable square footage and more room configurations – with none of the lost space and obstacles common with storing side-stack retractable walls. The hotel can drop the partition when needed – for example to cater two luncheons, back to back – and then raise the partition in minutes to quickly set an evening gala.

With these advantages, the hotel operator elected to make Skyfold a standard for all its properties, says Miller, gaining the rare honor of “preferred supplier status” for the Fairmont Hotels brand.

Attention to detail is what made Fairmont Pacific Rim the No. 5 top Canadian hotel in 2012 and a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice. The Interior Designers Institute of British Columbia gave it a Silver “Award of Excellence,” and Condé Nast readers voted it the only hotel in Vancouver for its 2012 Gold List. Contributing to its success is a powerlift partition that looks like it belongs – and disappears in a snap when needed.

With the Skyfold Classic 51 in place, the renovated Fairmont Pacific Rim enjoys its ease of operation and perfect acoustics every day. The hotel’s executives are planning to use the Skyfold system more as they grow, gaining the hotel more space and adaptability without added work – a prospect that pleases the banquets director and meeting planners.