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.
