Creating a comfortable atmosphere

As our seasons and weather become more extreme, it is increasingly necessary to consider the systems we choose for heating and cooling the spaces we work and live in – offices, entertainment venues, apartments and homes.

Price Holyoake, a privately owned company, specialises in manufacturing and supplying air management solutions to the construction and building industry. Founded in 1953, the company is well regarded as an expert in this area and supports the construction industry through its ongoing research and development programmes.

The company's perimeter slot diffuser is a newly released architectural product that creates a stunning negative detail around the edge of the room while providing unobtrusive, draftless air distribution to a space.

Wellington Regional Manager Matthew Pervan says these new perimeter slot diffusers are very popular with architects for premium apartments and homes, as well as offices, hotels, and other commercial spaces.

“These diffusers are both unobtrusive and aesthetically pleasing; architects can incorporate them into their design as a feature. They are installed neatly as a negative detail around the edge of the room, rather than being positioned in the centre of the ceiling,” he says.

"Equally important, they are designed to get conditioned air into a room easily, and you wouldn’t even know that it’s happening. This is a very quiet and effective system that distributes the cool or warm air unobtrusively into the occupied zone of the room while avoiding drafts.”

Perimeter slot diffusers can be set up to throw the air horizontally or vertically across the ceiling by adjusting the pattern control blade. The size of the space and personal preference will help determine how to manage the airflow.

These diffusers are made from aluminium, so they are robust and long-lasting. They are available in a white powder-coat finish or black anodised.

“With the addition of LED lights, these diffusers can be made into a cool and interesting feature. For example, LEDs can be fitted inside the diffuser to light hallways or create a shadowed effect on the wall,” says Matthew.

A specially designed clip-on supply adapter with foam seal requires no fixings, and the straightforward installation means there's no plastering required. The diffusers come in lengths of up to 5.8 metres and can be joined to provide a seamless look. Mitred corners allow for the creation of continuous negative details around the perimeter of the room.

“They are a simple design, but a lot of technology has gone into making them easy for architects to specify and builders to install, and easy for the end user to operate.”

Another option is the slot diffuser, a discreet design that distributes a high volume of draftless air, even into very large rooms. A special configuration of blades throws air out into the room vertically or horizontally.

These linear slot diffusers can be mounted into concealed mounting frames, helping to create a discreet and modern appearance that's symmetrically balanced with other features on the ceiling such as light fittings.

Price Holyoake manufactures two styles of ceiling slot diffusers – one with an exposed flange (CSD) and another that's designed to be plastered over to create a flangeless diffuser (CSDP) with the slot embedded in the ceiling for a seamless architectural look.

“We are supplying these CSDP fittings to architects for installation in high-end apartments where the aim is to create a really smart aesthetic with a WOW factor. There’s nothing obtrusive in the ceiling, no flanges, nothing to see,” says Matthew.

The CSD diffuser is ideal for projects such as office blocks and school classrooms, where it is necessary to move a large volume of air. Even bespoke applications, with varying area requirements, are suitable as the diffuser is made to size. The diffuser can be manufactured to curve around corners in both new and retrofitted applications.

To find out more about air control management systems, get in touch with Price Holyoake.