St. Mary's Episcopal Church

Completed in a mere two months, construction of Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church evolved from a steel and masonry design that was ill-suited to meet the complicated design envisioned by the congregation and their architect.

The architect told the client that using steel and masonry to complete asymmetrical walls, a steep pitched vaulted ceiling over the sanctuary, windowed dormers suspended above the colonnaded naves and a bell tower open at the four corners would be well over budget. Therefore, Tilt-Up was selected and the switch saved the church $300,000 in construction costs. Further, the use of Tilt-Up enabled the Church the ability to incorporate their 120-year-old bell into the structure.

Meeting the design challenges also entailed overcoming construction obstacles. The architect had to design the many irregular shaped panels on a confined site, while maintaining full operations of the existing facility. The close proximity to a major public street involved close coordination with the church and local officials to coordinate erecting some panels at night and in the early morning hours.

Simply, Tilt-Up enabled the architect to finish the project in timely and cost-efficient manner, while preserving the architectural integrity of the church.