The function is simple: create a building that can host several events in one
location. But simply creating a building for function alone was not the goal
for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, Calif., the St. Theresa school or
the parishioners. Celebrating their 50th anniversary with a major capital
improvement, the St. Theresa School and Church wanted an event center that not
only provided the school with a gymnasium but also gave the church a place
where they could hold special events for parishioners.
The original buildings were built with concrete block and stucco, and convincing the building committee that a pre-engineered metal building was the best option to meet its needs was quite an undertaking.
“We did a lot of renderings, and we showed them 3-D sketches,” said Joel Miroglio, AIA, design principal with Miroglio Architecture + Design, Oakland. “When first proposed, the concern was that they didn’t want it to look like a shed. They wanted it to blend in and not look cheap.”
The 9,700-square-foot (901-m2) metal building was supplied by Metallic Building Co., Houston, and installed by Quality Erectors & Construction Inc., Richmond, Calif. Inside, the space is large enough for a full-sized basketball court with full bleachers and high enough to accommodate the volleyball courts. In addition, there is a stage for drama and music programs, a full commercial kitchen and restrooms, as well as room for parish-wide events, dinners and receptions, youth ministries and retreats.
“We took some care on the interior to make it look like an event center and not just a gym,” Miroglio said.
While the interior design was important, making sure the modern metal building tied in with the 1950s stucco and concrete was priority No. 1. Once the go ahead was given, the building went up very quickly, and the savings from using a preengineered metal building was an added bonus for the building committee.
“Metal was chosen for the event center structure, siding and roofing because it was the only possible solution which would allow for the desired sculptural effect while maintaining a very tight budget,” Miroglio said. “While metal was a new finish for the school, by carefully ‘nesting’ the simple gabled metal building within, and meshing it with materials from the existing school, the event center doesn’t look like a tacked on ‘addition.'”
Connecting the new building to the old helped create a campus quad effect. In addition to the PEMB, Houston-based MBCI provided 12,000 square feet (1,115 m2) of its 16-inch- (406-mm-) wide, 24-gauge BattenLok roof system with a Kynar 500 Signature 300 finish in Colonial Red. The metal roof was used for the entire addition, which unified the project.
MBCI also provided 8,000 square feet (743 m2) of 36-inch- (914-mm-) wide wall panels installed horizontally with a Kynar 500 Signature 300 Metallic finish.
For a finishing touch, needing to relocate the entrance to the church and school, a lot of attention was paid to the front façade. The new entrance takes most of its inspiration from St. Theresa herself. There are 24 rose medallions representing the number of years she lived. Niches were created to provide seating for students waiting to be picked up, and each contains a quote from St. Theresa. The canopied main entrance is glass so that at night, people can see the mosaic mural of St. Theresa made up of individual photos of students from the school’s 50-year history.
“The curving and overlapping composition of the structure, only possible through the creative use of metal, is meant to suggest the petals of a flower, St. Theresa’s favored metaphor for her service to God,” Miroglio said. “Parishioners, initially resistant to a
‘pre-fab’ building, now see it as a beautiful and contemporary addition to the school.”
Design Awards judge Bruce Lynch agreed: “A fine example of a very creative use of metal building materials and techniques to create unique design elements. The structure delivers functionality on a budget yet manages to communicate evocative contemporary and traditional features.”
St. Theresa Event Center, Oakland, Calif.
Building owner: Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
Architect: Miroglio Architecture + Design, Oaklan,
General contractor: Taber Construction, Concord, Calif.
Metal installer: Quality Erectors & Construction Inc., Richmond, Calif.
Metal roof and walls: MBCI, Houston
Metal building: Metallic Building Co., Houston
