flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

A thoroughly modern, very traditional church

Sponsored Content Religious Facilities

A thoroughly modern, very traditional church

A 50-foot x 90-foot metal building system from Star Buildings allowed the church to build its basic structure economically and finish it in a way that achieved the visual style they wanted


By Star | May 17, 2016

The Church of St. Francis Xavier, in Sallisaw, Okla., wanted a new church building with a traditional look and feel.  Their architect, Shelby Navarro of 1Architecture, Tulsa, Okla., discussed a range of styles with them.

“We wanted to know the personality of the church,” explains Navarro. “They were a little more traditional, and they wanted the strength of that traditional look.  It garners respect a little more.” The idea included stone walls, massive timber rafters, stained glass windows, a steeply pitched roof, and two tall copper spires.

“Obviously, to do a traditional European church involves stone masons and gargoyles, and they were on a very tight budget,” continues Navarro.

The solution was a 50-foot x 90-foot metal building system from Star Buildings that allowed the church to build its basic structure economically and finish it in a way that achieved the visual style they wanted. It allowed the church to have a 50-foot clear-span for the sanctuary with a steep 12:12 roof pitch that combine to give the interior a soaring, uplifting feeling.

General contractor for the project was C&C Builders, Sallisaw, Okla.  The metal building system was supplied and erected by Star builder B&B Welding.  For this beautiful project, B&B was named Star’s   Master Builder of the Year.

And contrary to what some builders may suspect, Bill Buckner—president of B&B Welding—says design for such a project proves to be remarkably easy. “We meet the architect’s criteria and then we get on our computers and we can design what he wants, with all the codes and loads and deflections, all with the software that Star provides us.”

 

 

The central steel structure for the church was additionally built out with cold-form steel framing to create the bell tower with its buttresses, and the two spires. Exterior finishes of EIFS stucco, brick, and stone “columns” capture the feel of traditional construction. It is roofed with composition shingle that resembles wood shake.  The taller spire is 56 feet high, surmounted by a cross, and both spires are clad in copper.  The copper is already beginning to acquire the patina that completes the look. There is one stained glass rose window installed above the altar, and space for a second rose window at the other end of the nave, when the budget allows, sometime in the future.  Navarro calls it, “a modern interpretation of that small, comfortable European church.”

Part of the “modern” aspect includes making it a functional building for our time.  In a location that hits 105º F in the summer at 70% humidity, R-36 insulation helps the church to keep a comfortable interior temperature with minimal waste of energy.

Architect Navarro believes that the choice of a metal building system was vital to the church achieving its goal.  “The value from the metal building system is what allowed the church to happen.  If they had tried to deal with glue-lams and custom wood, they wouldn’t have made it there.”

B&B’s Bill Buckner swears by Star Buildings.  “I won’t put up anybody else’s, because Star’s SBS Builder Software is so awesome.  You don’t have to call a rep to get prices.  You just get on that computer, and it will do the work for you.”

 

Related Stories

| Jan 14, 2016

How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems

This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.

Religious Facilities | Oct 28, 2015

After 133 years of construction, Sagrada Familia enters final phase of construction

Six new towers to be added will make the cathedral Europe's tallest religious building.

Sponsored | Religious Facilities | Sep 25, 2015

Where Construction Meets Religion

The beliefs of the congregation required specific compass-orientations for certain rooms

Religious Facilities | Aug 25, 2015

A fully restored St. Patrick’s Cathedral awaits the pope’s arrival

The three-year reconstruction project included more than 30,000 preservations and repairs. 

Multifamily Housing | Apr 22, 2015

Condo developers covet churches for conversions

Former churches, many of which are sitting on prime urban real estate, are being converted into libraries, restaurants, and with greater frequency condominiums.

Religious Facilities | Mar 23, 2015

Is nothing sacred? Seattle church to become a restaurant and ballroom

A Seattle-based real estate developer plans to convert a historic downtown building, which for more than a century has served as a church sanctuary, into a restaurant with ballroom space.

Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015

Retrofit projects give dying malls new purpose

Approximately one-third of the country’s 1,200 enclosed malls are dead or dying. The good news is that a sizable portion of that building stock is being repurposed.

Reconstruction & Renovation | Mar 5, 2015

Chicago's 7 most endangered properties

Preservation Chicago released its annual list of historic buildings that are at risk of being demolished or falling into decay.

Religious Facilities | Mar 3, 2015

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia to be completed in 2026

Architect Jordi Fauli has taken over responsibilities for finishing Antoni Gaudi's masterpiece. Fauli is confident his team will be able to finish the mega project within the next 12 years.

Sponsored | Metals | Feb 25, 2015

Why churches are being built of metal

Affordability and speed of building are important factors.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Giants 400

Top 40 Religious Facility Construction Firms for 2023

Crossland Construction, Haskell, Big-D Construction, Whiting-Turner, and JE Dunn Construction top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest religious facility general contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.



halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021