The fact that fabric duct is 90 percent lighter than its metal counterpart was definitely a safety factor for Kawa when considering 80-foot runs of 48-inch diameter duct had to be hung in an area with poor footing from an excavated slab, or second story flooring unable to support heavy equipment, or poor access.


When presented to project architect, Tim Kearney, Architecture Alliance, Annapolis; Rams Head Live owner, Bill Muehlhauser; plus Joe Brown, president, and Ryan Clark, project manager for general contractor, Brown Contracting Co.,Inc., Annapolis; all parties liked the smooth aesthetic look of fabric duct and its streamlined linear vent that runs the entire length of the duct versus the seams and protruding registers of spiral metal duct.


Specifying black TufTex™ fabric duct manufactured by DuctSox, Dubuque, Iowa, Kawa enhanced and stayed within the building’s industrial décor at Rams Head Live. The style of the venue, which has already attracted top touring music stars such as B.B. King, Phil Vassar, and Elvis Costello, also conforms to the industrial style of the Power Plant Live district.


Beside safety benefits, installation time was cut from an estimated three weeks for metal duct to one week for fabric duct. “It wasn’t a fast-track project, but anytime you reduce installation time by two-thirds, you’re going to save money and speed the project along,” said Kawa, who has used fabric duct previously in warehouses and seen it in indoor pools.


Ventilation design for a nightclub is particularly critical in terms of smoke, airflow noise, air distribution, and adhering to American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards, but without sacrificing energy efficiency, according to Stephen Wagner, Kawa’s director of engineering. While architect, Kearney, ingeniously removed a large portion of second story flooring above the stage to create great sightlines from the balcony, the void created an airflow challenge. Wagner specified a complicated 18-inch-diameter DuctSox to conform to the various angles and offsets of the edge of the balcony. The system included linear venting to direct airflow downward on the crowds who need it most. The black ductwork is hung from the facade of the balcony with angle brackets supporting the H-Track suspension system.


Wagner also likes the long but gentle throw of the balcony ductwork. The strong drafty airflows associated with metal duct/register systems would have created a series of swinging pendants with suspended acoustical tiles, lighting, and sound systems surrounding the stage. “What I really noticed was how quiet fabric duct is in a concert situation,” Wagner said. “Already we’re fine tuning some of the metal ductwork throughout the space with sound absorption because it transmits too much mechanical equipment noise.”