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Architect: Craig Gaulden Davis, Greenville, SC
Engineer: Cary Engineering Consultants, Greenville, SC
Owner: Diocese of Charleston, Charleston, SC
General Contractor: Morris Construction Co., Greenville, SC
Precaster: Metromont Prestress Co., Greenville, SC
DESIGN CHALLENGE:
Design a new 1,200-seat Catholic church for a parish in a suburban community that had outgrown its space. The parish wanted to achieve the look of a millennia-old tradition in a way that spoke to a new generation. The building had to encourage its community while serving the liturgy and reflecting the religious mission of the facility.
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PRECAST SOLUTION:
The core of the building consists of load-bearing precast concrete panels that also serve as the primary interior finish. Designers originally considered cast-in-place concrete but rejected it because of concerns about quality and sequencing. A steel frame also was rejected in favor of the total-precast design.
The precast concrete panels’ detailing and surface treatment satisfied aesthetic concerns, while using the structural panels as the building’s primary finish lent integrity to the concept. The material acts as a foil to brick, stained-wood, painted-metal and wallboard surfaces, blending well with slate and salt-finished concrete floors.
To meet both structural and architectural objectives, exposed concrete elements consist of two pieces, joined back to back. They are stacked and connected to elements above and below with steel pins. Structural tolerances were applied to architectural shapes. Formed surfaces served as final finishes.
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