The 13,716-square-foot (1,274-m2) building with its gleaming basketball floor may look like a gymnasium, but at Great Falls Central Catholic High School in Great Falls, Mont., it’s a lot more. It also serves as a classroom, recruiting tool, revenue source, back-up rain shelter and, for one magical evening, it was transformed into a dreamy setting for a special celebration gala.
“Our gym has become so much more than we ever expected,” said Parker Sullivan, the development director for Great Falls Central Catholic High.”It is a great selling point for the school, a place for us to hold special events and has even become are venue generator. It really is a premier gym!”
The two-story structure-127 feet (39 m) wide and 108 feet (33 m) long-was built by Great Falls based AllSteel Building Co., an independent authorized builder of Memphis, Tenn.-based Varco Pruden Buildings. AllSteel incorporated Varco Pruden’s Rigid Frame system and SSR roof. The walls are brick and masonry on the exterior while the interior is Varco Pruden’s Panel Rib. L’Heureux Page Werner PC, Great Falls, was the architect.
The gym is a separate structure and connected to the school by a commons area, chapel and media center. The 80 students, grades nine through 12, have basketball, volleyball and gym classes, as well as track and field practice in the gym. There is a weight room on the second-floor mezzanine above the locker rooms.
The decision was made to use a pre-engineered metal building system because of its cost effectiveness and because construction could be done much more quickly than with most other types of construction.
To add interest to the exterior, multiple single slope roofs and two different colors of masonry and siding were utilized. Natural light was considered to bean integral part of the design, therefore large windows were incorporated in the classrooms and public areas.
Ralph Beltrone, president of AllSteel, who was a member of the last class to graduate from the school’s first building in 1973, said one of the biggest challenges was doing the construction during the winter months, which in Montana can be particularly demanding.
“Fortunately, with metal systems we were able to get the exterior of the building up quickly so we were able to do the inside work during the toughest months,” Beltrone said. “Classes were actually being held in the building before we completed the job.”
Another challenge was an extremely tight budget. Beltrone said that using pre-engineered metal allowed construction to be completed within the stringent budget demands. The builder was able to add interest to the exterior, multiple single-slope roofs and two different colors of masonry and siding were utilized.Natural light was considered to be an integral part of the design; therefore large windows were incorporated in the classrooms and public areas.
Two other Catholic schools use the facility for tournaments, musical recitals and other events. The school also has rented the gym for family reunions, antique shows and more. It has even served as a fall-back for some organizations who stage outdoor events and needed a rain shelter in case of bad weather.
Varco Pruden Buildings, www.vp.com
