Right: The entryway ceiling at Ridgeleigh Terrace, formerly the Kettering mansion. Interlocking cast plaster pieces are attached to a grill which conceals organ pipes above.

When the Kettering Mansion burnt to the ground in 1996, it was a great loss to the Kettering family and the Kettering Medical Center, who had been using it for their corporate retreats. When it was decided to replace it, they wanted to keep the original design and elegance and only change what was necessary to accommodate the latest in technology, comfort and building codes. One of the unique features of the house was a beautiful pipe organ on the second floor landing of the central stairway. The pipes were located above the ceiling, which was made of a lattice work adorned with the same interlocking, cast plaster  pieces found all the public rooms of the house.

Thin-shell casting is a technique where molding plaster and chopped fiberglass are applied in a mold to a thickness of 1/8" - 5/16" to get strength without a lot of weight.

This technique is especially suited for large shapes, such as sound clouds or mechanical covers, where you need functionality without weight.