STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS
Timber cathedral uses unique structural system
The 36,000sqft Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California, US was designed to withstand California’s earthquake prone area while also creating a serene environment for parishioners. Engineered wood products were used to create a striking structure that aimed to withstand the elements for hundreds of years. The Cathedral replaced the Cathedral of St Francis de Sales, rendered unusable following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Project leaders wanted the new structure to have a design life of 300 years. “To an engineer, locating a 110ft-high cathedral made of delicate materials so close to an active fault line and expecting it to survive an earthquake like the 1906 temblor — that is the ultimate challenge,” said Mark
Sarkisian, SE Direct of Structural Engineering at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), San Francisco, US. Yet, this is what the new cathedral was designed to achieved. The 21,600sqft, 1,500 seat, US$80m cathedral utilises traditional building materials in modern ways. The outcome is a space-frame structure with a glued-laminated timber (glulam) beam and steel-rod skeleton veiled with a glass skin.
structural form. With the 300-year building life goal, the structure utilises a base isolation system along with superstructure materials that allow the structure to resist strength and ductility demands beyond the maximum considered earthquake levels. From the beginning, the lightest ecological footprint is a core design objective. Through the use of renewable materials and other sustainable design strategies, the building minimises the use of energy and natural resources. Except during evening activities, the cathedral is lit by daylight. The structure’s concrete made use of industrial waste fly ash, a byproduct of coal production that requires less energy to produce than cement. The reuse of this material provides a better adhesive while reducing waste. An advanced version
Design elements and materials highlight the play of light and the
integration of catholic symbols that are key elements of the new cathedral. It displays an innovative use of materials, including glulam, architecturally exposed reinforced concrete, high- strength steel tension rods, aluminium, and glass to provide lightness and luminosity within an efficient
54 PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2024
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