The contractor also had to deal with wet, fatty clay soil, exacerbated by 17 days of rain during the project’s first 35 days. Though it was an added expense, the team had no choice but to bring in sandy clay for the foundation. In erecting the metal wall panels, because they were horizontal, this re- quired additional framing. “We also had to be diligent with our layout, to ensure that all of the lines and architectural features hit in the correct locations,” notes Fowler. The metal roof installation was straightforward, though a number of roof penetrations had to be accommodated. This included rooftop HVAC units, exhaust fans, and kitchen freezer condensers and fans, which required roof curbs. “The greatest challenge was coordinating between all of these items— including the roof curb supplier and the building manufacturer—to make sure all of the opening sizes were correct and the framing was in the proper location.” To create a long-standing, durable facility, the floors are finished with polished concrete and epoxy-coated concrete. Easy-to-clean and main- tain, the selected materials also lend a nice look. And, to support wash downs, hose bibs were built into the walls and all the sleeping areas incorporate floor drains. Poole & Company Architects designed a beautiful courtyard where the men comfortably gather. Photo: Varco Pruden
At Their Service Completed in just over a year, the city’s underprivileged men are ben- efitting from a new, contemporary and comfortable facility where they can re-group and work to get their lives on track. As Melvin Harris, formerly homeless and now working at the shelter, told Alabama’s WVTM 13 News, “I was on the street, pretty much, and really scared to be out there with no place to go. I just needed a hand up. A lot of the time, that’s all our homeless need – a hand up and a chance.” With room for 112 people, more than doubling the previous 50-bed space, the new facility also provides respite care, local food programs and GED classes in a new computer lab. There is designated space for disease control, family housing, medical screening rooms, overflow for winter and a chapel for Bible studies or meditation. Earning kudos from the industry, an MBCEA awards judge remarked, “the overall attitude and relaxed formality addresses the ‘human scale’. The building feels very approachable, and while it may appear a bit ‘Spartan’, it does not feel at all cold. It has a pleasant street-scape and understated interior courtyard. The nuanced imagery of the vaulted gathering space is not without notice and very much in keeping with the ministerial outreach message.” Working within a tight building layout, the arrival of materials and building erection sequences had to be carefully coordinated. Photo: Varco Pruden
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csengineermag.com
September 2022
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