Traditional Chilled Ceilings are metal ceiling tiles that have aluminum extruded heat exchange pipe seats bonded to the rear of the tile, into which a serpentine copper coil is inserted/secured and insulted so that all cooling is via the front of the tile facing into the room space which requires cooling. The Chilled Ceiling Tiles can reasonably be of any size and shape and usually flush mounted onto a linear or tartan beam grid.

FTF Group is responsible for the worlds largest chilled ceiling (Shell Oils HQ on the River Thames, London) back in 1962 and this 19,106 ft² Chilled Ceiling lasted over 50 years before being recently decommissioned, which is a testament to not only FTF Group's high-quality products but also the technology (although see X-Wing® Radiant Passive Chilled Beams for next generation of technology). Traditional Chilled Ceilings provide most of its cooling effect by 'radiant absorption' (see radiant absorption cooling) which accounts for approximately 60% of total cooling effect and the other 40% by convention.

The higher the radiant quotient for cooling, the more comfortable the cooling effect, the only downside to traditional Chilled Ceilings is relatively low cooing duties in terms of BTU/hr/ft² as although circa 28.5 BTU/hr/ft² of activated tile area, this nets out at circa 20 BTU/hr/ft² on the floor area as only 70% of ceiling area can be activated due to rest of ceiling areas being occupied by ceiling beam grid to support the heavy tiles and lighting etc...