House of Worship Honored for Precast Concrete Craftsmanship
CHICAGO, February 28, 2024 – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple in Tallahassee, Fla., has been honored with the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute’s (PCI) Sidney Freedman Craftsmanship Award. The annual award recognizes PCI-certified plants for unique solutions and excellence in manufacturing and craftsmanship of architectural precast concrete and glass-fiber-reinforced concrete (GFRC) structures and individual components.
GATE Precast Company in Monroeville, Ala., manufactured the winning project’s precast concrete. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple was an intricate project with a high expectation of quality with award winning results making it a testament to the abilities of precast concrete and the excellence of craftsmanship by our team,” said Nathan Brooks, operations manager at GATE Precast Company in Monroeville. “It is a project that GATE is proud and honored to have been a part of.”
Church officials chose architectural precast concrete because it met the quality and resiliency requirements for its one-story, 29,000-square-foot temple. The design features a central spire that gives the impression of a taller structure.
The stone-like exterior features four-sided columns, large cornices, and intricate lettering. The project is a prime example of precast concrete’s ability to emulate any architectural style. The ivory-colored exterior is consistent in color and texture, and exceptionally sharp lines were achieved with the glass-blast finish.
Computer-numerical molds and hand-crafted molds and formliner pieces, combined with flawless execution by the precast concrete producer produced intricate panels that achieved the desired aesthetic.
“The overall look of the structure from a distance shows good consistency of color and texture,” said Ed Knowles, vice president of Walters & Wolf Precast and a member of the award jury. “When you view the precast concrete panels closely, the detail becomes very apparent. There is a high degree of detail in all the features and lettering, and there are many intricate shapes and details that were well-coordinated and produced. Overall, this project is a very impressive example of architectural precast concrete.”
The award is named after retired PCI Director of Architectural Systems Sidney Freedman, who was a leading voice in precast concrete architectural design for more than 43 years with the organization.
Photo caption: GATE Precast in Monroeville, Ala., received the Sidney Freedman Craftsmanship Award for supplying the architectural precast concrete for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple in Tallahassee, Fla. Photo: GATE Precast Company
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About PCI
Founded in 1954, The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) is a technical institute for the precast concrete structures and systems industry. PCI develops maintains, and disseminates the Body of Knowledge for the design, fabrication, and construction of precast concrete structures and systems. PCI develops consensus base standards, industry handbooks, quality assurance programs, certification, research and development projects, design manuals, continuing education, and periodical publications. PCI members include precast concrete producers, erectors, suppliers, professional engineers and architects, educators, students, and industry consultants who complement the wide range of knowledge of precast concrete. For more information, visit pci.org/howprecastbuilds.
