The new sanctuary at the Iglesia Bautista Bethel in Hialeah, FL, will safely weather the severe tropical storms prevalent in South Florida, with the assistance of a building envelope protected by Reynobond® with KEVLAR® and Reynobond Aluminum Composite Material (ACM) by Alcoa Architectural Products. Designed by Jerry Clawson Architects of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL, in collaboration with architect/interior designer Ignacio Gonzalez of Miami, FL, the one-story, 10,500-square-foot addition was completed in March 2012.
The architecture of the new sanctuary has a contemporary flare with a traditional nod. Sharp angles and layered materials on the façade and a soaring 41-foot-high peaked roof distinguish the church from its neighbors. A new entry and lobby join the new sanctuary to the existing building. The architects matched the color of the old brick to Reynobond’s Pueblo Tan Colorweld® 500 paint coating, then added a custom pattern that mimics the pattern of the brick with a Classic Bronze Colorweld 500 paint to tie the two structures together. To further define the entryway and accentuate the lines of the sanctuary, they used Reynobond with KEVLAR® panels finished in a rich, Mahogany Brown Wood Grain Design Line painted coating.
The church’s new addition had to meet the rigid requirements of the Miami-Dade County Building Code, and do so on a limited budget. “We originally specified ceramic tile for the sanctuary and entry façade,” said Clawson, “and designed the structure with a pre-engineered steel frame and corrugated metal skin. Allcrete, our general contractor, suggested that we look into Reynobond, and we’re very glad they did. We thought it would be dynamite on the church, and were not disappointed. It looks great and provides the necessary protection for the building envelope. Although we were already pretty far into the construction phase of the project when we decided to use the Reynobond materials, they helped reduce additional construction costs. In the future, it will also help to minimize maintenance costs.”
Miami's East Coast Metal Group, Inc., fabricated and installed 5,366 square feet of Reynobond with KEVLAR®, 4 mm, FR core with a Mahogany Brown Wood Grain Design Line finish, and 5,634 square feet of Reynobond ACM, 4 mm, FR core, coil-coated in Bright Silver Metallic and Pueblo Tan Colorweld 500 finishes on the façade and column covers of the building. “Like the Iglesia Bautista Bethel, the majority of our projects are located in South Florida and must meet the rigorous criteria set by the Miami-Dade County Building Code,” said Robert Caldevilla of East Coast Metal Group. “Reynobond with KEVLAR® has made it much easier for us to meet those requirements, and do so in a cost-effective manner. It does not require any heavy backing material, and can be installed in the same installation system as traditional Reynobond materials, so there’s a seamless transition between the materials.” East Coast Metal installed the panels in their 790 Wet Seal System with wide striping joints. A ¾" gap was filled with sealant in a matching Classic Bronze color. Allcrete Construction of Miami was the general contractor on the project.
Miami-Dade County Approved
“The Iglesia Bautista Bethel project provides an excellent example of the accessibility of Reynobond composite materials and how they can be used to provide cost-effective storm protection on even the smallest of projects,” said George Rosado, Commercial Director for Alcoa Architectural Products. Reynobond with KEVLAR® combines the light weight and flexibility of Reynobond ACM with the impact-resistant strength of DuPont™ KEVLAR® material. It is approved for large and small missile-impact protection for building surfaces below 30 feet in height as stipulated in the Miami-Dade County Building Code. Reynobond ACM is approved for small missile-impact protection above 30 feet in height.