Parishioners Pitch a New Tent (metalmag, January 2010)

By Hallie Busta

A tent-like, hyperbolic paraboloid metal roof tops the newly constructed St. Aloysius Parish in Jackson, N.J., thanks to collaboration between the project team and parishioners. The structure, which earned
an honorable mention from the metalmag Architectural Awards judges, is defi ned by the roof’s sweeping appearance, anchored at four corners to concrete piers as a reference to the four spiritual devotions of
St. Aloysius, the parish’s namesake.

“We did a lot of focus group meetings with parishioners … and talked about their parish history and the life of St. Aloysius and the idea that this church was an opportunity for them to recast their congregation as well as energize their congregation toward a more spiritual experience,” says Scott Erdy of Philadelphia-based Erdy McHenry Architecture LLC.

Once they settled on the roof’s unique design, Erdy and partner David McHenry faced the challenge of cladding the roof and keeping it waterproof.

They considered a shingle application, as well as a membrane system before deciding on 37,000 square feet of standing seam Galvalume metal in dove gray.

Although the roof appears to curve and slope in some areas, no curved materials were used. Instead, the components were carefully crafted and installed. Additionally, the upward pitch reveals the roof’s underside clad in parabolic wood paneling and expansive translucent glass windows on all sides of the building. “You can almost use any product in a new or different way,” says Erdy. “It seemed like for this project, the standing seam metal roof was the best way to highlight the shape of the building and also resolve many of the technical challenges that faced the building.”

Metalmag Architectural Awards judge Ron van der Veen, AIA, principal at Seattle-based Mithun, agrees. “The standing seam roof really elongates and accentuates the complex, powerful curves of the roof.”

PROJECT TEAM

Architect: Erdy McHenry Architecture LLC, Philadelphia, www.em-arc.com

Building Owner: Diocese of Trenton, Trenton, N.J., (732) 370-0500

General Contractor: Woodward Construction, Morganville, N.J., (732) 591-1125

Installer: Excel Construction Co., Whiting, N.J., (908) 910-3349

Metal Product: 37,000 square feet of Englert Series 1300, 17-inch, 24-gauge standing seam Galvalume metal roof from Englert Inc., Perth Amboy, N.J., with a Kynar 500 fi nish in dove gray, www.englertinc.com