One reflected ceiling plan, agreed by everyone
The coordination fails when the design team, the services contractor and the ceiling specialist are working to three versions of the same drawing. Fix the version before manufacture, not after delivery.
Void depth is a design constraint
Duct depth, sprinkler pipework, structural downstands and the ceiling support system compete for the same void. Where the depth is tight, the ceiling geometry has to be reviewed before it is approved.
Access has to be designed
Valves, dampers and junction boxes need reaching for the life of the building. Access positions are a design decision, and if they are not drawn, they get cut into a finished surface.
A sequence that works
- Coordinate the ceiling plan and freeze it
- Install and test services in the void
- Inspect and sign the void as complete
- Install support system and set out
- Install panels, then trims and access
- Inspect, snag and record
