Metal building system saves church project
by Jonathan McGaha | January 31, 2009 12:00 am
When it came to building the new Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Roman Catholic Church in Austin, Texas, a metal building was not the first thought for either the Catholic Archdiocese of Austin or the architect, Joseph Nguyen of CNK Associates Inc., Grand Prairie, Texas. However, once the design had been finalized and site work had begun, expensive foundation issues associated with sandy Austin soil cut deeply into their budget, requiring more than $800,000 for stabilization. The project budget was a relatively tight $3.4 million, so the architects turned to Red Dot Building Systems, Athens, Texas, for a steel frame building system for the church.
“Our experience in building high-end architectural projects like schools and churches has taught us that engineering is the key. Virtually anything that you can do with conventional construction you can do with metal. Helping architects understand the limitations and required adjustments is something we really enjoy doing. Once they work with metal, they love it,” said Bob Davis, vice president of marketing and business development at Red Dot.
Since a Roman Catholic Church is traditionally ornate, overcoming the industrial look of metal was a key concern for Nguyen. The resulting structure needed a rich, warm feeling that would complement the religious statuary, impressive custom stained glass windows, and warm cherry woods and oak that were specified for the interior.
The 17,200-square-foot (1,598-m2) building system features a sanctuary that seats 850 parishioners in a fan shape with the back row just 60 feet (18 m) from the front of the church due to a 138-foot (42-m) ceiling span, a 135- seat crying room, 100-person chapel and an impressive entryway. Special attention was paid to the ceiling plan to create differences in ceiling and roof height while ensuring that the altar was an impressive focal point at the front of the church. A covered entrance, two-side additions for shrines and a lightweight fiberglass steeple create a structure that overcomes the industrial metal look.
Parishioners gathered in the new church for the first time in December 2008. The stucco and stone exterior and rich wood paneled doors are complemented by the custom-made stained glass windows. The interior is complete with cherry wood paneling and Liberty Oak ceiling tiles and pews. The altar is the focal point with its raised ceiling and pulpit framed by a large, round stained glass window.
Red Dot Building Systems
Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/projects/metal-building-system-saves-church-project/