Ronstan Tensile Architecture, an end-to-end specialty contractor of tensile architecture, provided its architectural rod systems to the San Diego Yacht Club’s new Malin Burnham Sailing Center in San Diego, CA. The sleek steel rod systems, which act as cross bracing and web compression struts, brace the center’s timber roof trusses. As a result, they provide both a solid roofing structure as well as a maritime aesthetic to perfectly complement the building’s purpose.
The Malin Burnham Sailing Center is the showpiece of several renovation improvements made to the San Diego Yacht Club facilities in 2010. The 6,900-square-foot center is home to the junior sailing and high school-aged sailing teams and features club memorabilia that celebrates its 125-year history. The new building, outfitted in wood, glass, and Ronstan steel, offers an ideal blend of tradition and modernity to the club’s facilities.
“Ronstan came to mind immediately when specifying a provider for the roofing structure,” said Matt Wells, Principal at Architects Hanna Gabriel Wells, the architect of the project. “The rod tension system provides a nautical character to the Yacht Club without being too obvious, meeting both form and function expectations.”
In addition to form and function, Ronstan’s lightweight pre-stressed tensile cables and bars also contribute to the project’s eco-friendly objectives, as they provide an alternative to heavy supports. The rods are made of recyclable stainless steel, adding to the overall sustainability of the facility. In December 2010, the building was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for New Construction from the U.S. Green Building Council.
“We are very proud of this project,” said Andrew Trowbridge, Architectural and Industrial Manager - West Coast at Ronstan International Inc. “Considering the building’s function, it offers the perfect opportunity to show off our product’s beauty and versatility in a well-suited environment. Not to mention, the sustainability of our products shines through, as it assisted in LEED certification for the Club.”
“We were extremely pleased with the product,” said Ross Brown, Project Manager at DPR Construction. “The hardware perfectly matched the design of sailing features as we had hoped, and its installation was seamless.”
Brown’s team completed the project in just ten months, despite a demanding itinerary. “Ronstan was very accommodating to our tight construction schedule. We actually finished ahead of schedule, thanks in part to the product meeting our expectations without any need for alteration,” said Brown.
Construction on the Malin Burnham Sailing Center at the San Diego Yacht Club was completed in July 2010. The project team consisted of Architects Hanna Gabriel Wells, San Diego, CA, general contractor/builder DPR Construction, San Diego, CA, and installer Alliance TruTrus, San Diego, CA.
Completed in 2009, the project team consisted of architect Gensler, Los Angeles, CA; curtainwall engineer Enclos, San Juan Capistrano, CA; general engineer Nabih Youssef Associates, Los Angeles; and general contractor, Webcor Builders, Los Angeles.