 |
|
Aerial photo depicts the historic copper roof after restoration. The project involved adding a custom-built eave with built-in gutters to promote drainage. |
Kingswood School is perhaps the best example of Eliel Saarinen's work in North America. Designed in 1930 by the Finnish-born architect, the building was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style, with wide overhanging hipped roofs, long horizontal bands of windows, decorative leaded glass doors, and asymmetrical massing of elements.
The building's elegant copper roof served the school well into the early 1990s, but decades of exposure to the elements finally took a toll on the eaves and gutters, leaving them structurally unsound and the roof in dire need of replacement.
A $14 million reconstruction effort, led by Skanska and Quinn Evans | Architects, involved a complete replacement of two-thirds of the 90,000-sf roof (the remaining portion had been replaced in the late 1990s), repairs to an underground stormwater system, and insulating attic spaces to help reduce heat loss and minimize ice damming.
The Building Team was tasked with devising a replacement system that would replicate the landmark roof while also improving drainage performance. The solution was a custom-built eave design that features built-in gutters that slope 1/16-inch per foot to the drains to promote positive drainage and reduce the chance of leaks. The eave and gutter boxes were wrapped with an ice and water shield as a second line of defense, and a drainage tube was installed leading from that shield to below the soffit; any water reaching this layer would be spotted dripping from the tube, and corrective action be taken.
The result is a brand new “historic” roof that will protect Saarinen's masterpiece for many years. —Dave Barista, Managing Editor
Related Stories
| May 17, 2013
5 things AEC pros need to know about low-e glass
Low-emissivity glasses are critical to making today’s buildings brighter, more energy-efficient, and more sustainable. Here are five tips to help AEC professionals understand the differences among low-e glasses and their impact on building performance.
| May 14, 2013
Easy net-zero energy buildings [infographic]
"Be a Zero Hero" infographic educates building industry professionals on ultra energy-efficient structural insulated panel construction
| May 8, 2013
Preventable curtain wall failures - AIA/CES course
In many cases, curtain wall failures are caused by fairly simple errors that occur during the fabrication and installation process. This presentation will highlight common errors and when they typically occur.
| Apr 16, 2013
5 projects that profited from insulated metal panels
From an orchid-shaped visitor center to California’s largest public works project, each of these projects benefited from IMP technology.
| Apr 10, 2013
23 things you need to know about charter schools
Charter schools are growing like Topsy. But don’t jump on board unless you know what you’re getting into.
| Apr 8, 2013
Oldcastle Architectural acquires Expocrete Concrete Products
Oldcastle® Architectural has acquired Expocrete Concrete Products Ltd., giving North America’s largest producer of concrete masonry and hardscape products an increased presence in the high-growth region of western Canada.
| Apr 3, 2013
AIA CES class: Sealant repairs that last – hybrid sealants for building restoration
It is hard to talk about restoration without talking about sustainability. This two-hour interactive online course discusses the role that restoration can and does play in the arena of sustainability, and specifically the role that sealants play in sustainable design and repair.
| Mar 29, 2013
Stanford researchers develop nanophotonic panel that reflects sun's heat out of the atmosphere
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a nanophotonic material that not only reflects sunlight, but actually beams the thermal energy out of the earth's atmosphere.
