Breathing new life into an architectural treasure

My preliminary fascination in visiting the Futuna Chapel in Karori for the primary time within the late Nineteen Seventies, as an structure scholar, has caught with me to the current day. The go to piqued curiosity, pencil and paper have been essential to work out the mystifying geometry of the constructing, each easy and sophisticated, sq. in plan. Architect John Scott, sculptor Jim Allen and the lay Marist brother builders had crafted an edifice of true magnificence, inspirational structure.

Then, a lot later, in 1994 as a close-by resident, whereas strolling down Good friend Avenue, I used to be alarmed to see the Hardies Asbestos Cement (AC) shingle roof with copper-edge flashings, being eliminated by folks wearing white boiler fits and respiratory equipment. With the ensuing alternative of rectangular, stone chipped bituminous tiles, the roof appeared lifeless, with out the vitality of its natal being. The constructing roof was put to sleep externally and remained dormant till current months in 2026. The inside, contradictorily, remained energetic. As it’s recurrently washed in colored mild, glorifying the sacred sanctuary for spiritual people.

Dismay with the ‘lifeless roof’ motivated me to develop into a Trustee in Dec 2008. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone with such thought. Different trustees, together with the architect Nick Bevin, have been equally decided to reinstate the unique white roof with comparable supplies, color, tile sample and copper edge flashings. This purpose turned a driving ambition for the Belief, although price was formidable, reliant on charitable income.

A brand new roof would additionally assist resolve different points with the constructing; water leaks, ‘concrete most cancers’, energetic window mullions, a energetic roof fin wall, and rotting structural timbers. There was common want to interchange wind dislodged bituminous tiles, deal with water leaks across the clerestory-coloured home windows and people by means of the timber helps to the copper lined framed gutters. Leaking gutters have been a supply of dampness to the bolstered concrete beams over the 4 facet altars. This resulted within the reinforcing metal rusting and sprawling the concrete. This introduced an ongoing structural danger. So, a restoration venture was set in movement with a lot consideration to its preparation and arrange. Substantial analysis needed to be undertaken, an actual curiosity of mine.

However this, Heritage Conservation Plans referred to as for the roof to be reinstated as shut as potential to the unique Hardie AC tile and copper flashings. In 2018, now armed with an digital ArchiCAD mannequin of the constructing (drawn on moist Wellington Sunday afternoons), I set about making ready a set of design paperwork for repairing the roof and home windows. LT McGuinness (LTM), who had undertaken the sooner restore work, offered a value estimate to focus our minds.

Throughout this time, vital exploration was undertaken in choosing materials for the brand new tiles and exploring the scope of works regarding the acrylic-coloured windowpanes. The 2 amber colors had badly pale over time and using new, longer lasting acrylic was investigated. Solely one of many ambers may very well be sourced from Plexiglas in Germany while the second must be a particular manufacturing facility run; we solely wanted one sheet! Amber dyes used within the making of the acrylic are readily prone to degradation from UV mild and Plexiglas assured theirs for 15 plus years. Different suppliers’ amber colors proved to final solely a month topic to New Zealand’s harsh UV mild; examined on one’s personal home windowsills.

The number of a replicate materials for the roof tiles wasn’t straightfoward. The unique Hardie shingle had superb environmental qualities. It had lasted 33 years. If it’s then house owners, the Society of Mary, hadn’t been spooked by the asbestos and troubled by water egress points, it could have lasted significantly longer; particularly if sealed not directly. Italian Laminam porcelain sheet, 6mm thick, imported by Laminex NZ, was chosen after contemplating many choices; from steel, cement board, rubber, timber, glass, plastic to even bespoke formed photovoltaic tiles. The form, color, longevity, weight and environmental resistant qualities have been paramount, although the fragility of porcelain remained a key constraint. The AC shingles have been additionally fragile, so we weren’t taking a better danger within the number of porcelain.

Roof loading calculations undertaken by our ‘go to’ engineer for heritage constructing engineer, Win Clark, verified that the present roof construction at 50-degree slope was greater than able to taking the burden of 6mm porcelain tiles. We additionally envisaged that further timber, added to the roof construction, in the way in which of battens and plywood, would assist strengthen the roof.

It was now time to analysis the fixings and format. The Belief engaged LTM to construct a prototype mannequin. The designed roof system used a drain cavity below the tiles. This was shaped by counterpane timber battens on high of FiberTite, water-resistant membrane adhered to plywood. The mannequin was undertaken by Win Clark, Robbie McGreggor from LTM and me. None of us had earlier expertise with such a roofing. LTM have been unable to seek out tradespersons with specialist expertise to do the job nor tackle the chance. We knew, then, that we had a problem on our arms and one that might contain a variety of design trial and error experimentation. We have been pressured by circumstance to return to first rules of roof design. An actual pleasure for an architect these days!

Previous to this, Win and I had undertaken a number of investigations into the state of the Chapel, so we had a head begin on the constructed object and had some sense of what we would encounter on this venture. Win had undertaken structural research of the Chapel, together with, importantly, seismic and wind load capability, and examination of all of the metal timber joints within the inside of the constructing when its inside was absolutely scaffolded in 2014. We had additionally labored collectively on the rebuild and strengthening of the roof wing partitions and had repaired a bit of a rotten roof rafter on the junction of the insitu concrete bracing wall on the NE elevation.

A substantial quantity of investigation went into the fixings. At first, we thought of utilizing the standard European fixings of copper clout nails and copper disk rivets that have been used on the preliminary AC slate roof. We opted for German-made stainless-steel SPAX screws. Our goal has been to make the roof final at the very least 100 years. In a daring transfer, we deleted the necessity for a decrease fixing level within the tiles, one much less gap to type and improved look. Win was happy that the porcelain was robust sufficient to withstand uplift forces on the decrease level of the tile. To cut back level load stress of the screw fixing by means of the tile, we customed designed and fabricated black HDPE isolating grommets. To isolate the screw head from the tile above it, we had particular EPDM rubber washers made to pack the screw head and separate it from the higher tile.

Acutely aware of a possible conflict of heights between the buildup of the brand new roof with the low top of the colored clerestory home windows above roof top, I designed new raking copper gutters to separate the 2 components. The copper gutter additionally allowed us to enhance on the flashings to the windowsills, which have been lengthy recognized for leaking. The mannequin was displayed within the Chapel for a number of years and was the main focus of a lot dialogue and curiosity.

Throughout this era, LTM was engaged to help in leaking points. It was found, to our dismay, that once we examined the weathertightness of the gutters, water flowed immediately into the constructing. This added to the already discoloured inside timbers on the eaves. This leak space was in all probability one of many biggest sources of dampness that gave rise to the ‘concrete most cancers’.

The following main second within the fixing design was determining methods to lay the tiles, in order that they didn’t combination into only a heap of porcelain. They wanted to stagger in top up the 50-degree slope of the roof. We tried quite a few instances to make this work on the mannequin. The one final result then was frustration! In a considerably determined second, I made a decision to try to make it work by doing successive sectional drawings in Archicad utilizing and taking part in with quite a few set-out rules. To our joint reduction, I had found a system that might work after which we have been capable of replicate this within the bodily mannequin. The tiles needed to be pitched at 3 levels angle to the roof slope and spaced aside in small quantities. I found that it was greatest that the higher level of the tile aligned with the centre of the higher counterpane batten. The tiles, on the gap for his or her screw fixing, wanted to be separated by a packing component. We then have been capable of specify the thickness of this washer as 12mm and used EPDM once more. The washer can be held in place by the screw and within the eventual tile placement, this washer was glued in place. The builders had sufficient fixings already of their aprons. The mid area of the tiles sat on tender rubber bearings, isolating this area from the tile beneath. Successfully, we had invented a tile suspension system, not in contrast to the rules of base isolation in basis engineering. This design reduces seismic forces on buildings. This was an enormous breakthrough for us. Along with utilizing Laminam porcelain as a roofing product, we have been in all probability reaching world first design. Primary rules of design have been in motion – understanding the properties of supplies and compensating for inherent weaknesses by means of design. For porcelain and its fragility, the goal right here was to scale back level loading stresses.

A constructing contract was signed with LTM and work began in April 2025. The scaffolding was a bit of design excellence. There was minimal land across the constructing. A complete nook part of it was constructed over neighbours’ courtyards utilizing trusses. Platforms have been constructed over every of the roof planes and these stepped up the constructing. They needed to be hung from the scaffolding roof trusses. A mezzanine scaffolded platform was constructed within the lofty porch. This proved a really perfect storage and preparation space. All was coated in white shrink plastic that might ultimately be recycled into new white shrink plastic.

All the three,500 porcelain tiles have been water jet lower from large-format Laminam sheets by METCON in Tawa. This required exact calibration and recalibration to keep up constant 400 x 400mm tiles, the identical measurement and form as the unique AC shingles. Whereas on web site, Robbie McGregor (LTM) was cleverly ready to make use of Synthetic Intelligence (AI) software program on his telephone. This enabled him to calculate tile numbers because the laying progressed. The world of development is actually altering quick!

Throughout the venture, we had a number of surprises. The unique constructing paper below the AC tiles didn’t fall into the gutters and ran below the copper lining as an alternative. Moisture monitoring down on the constructing paper was operating into the inside of the constructing. This was a major construct fault. The copper linings to the gutters have been almost as ‘holey’ because the chapel inside! The copper was failing on account of long-term thermal contraction and growth. The plywood laid over the unique constructing paper for the bituminous tiles wasn’t handled and had rotted in lots of areas. The uncovered kahikatea T&G sarking below the roof was starting to get water broken, white residue patches seen to its underside. New alternative roofing was proving greater than mandatory to guard the remainder of the constructing sooner or later. It was properly overdue.

Throughout demolition of the outdated bituminous roof, the invention of asbestos in supplies in any other case unknown was a significant setback in time and value. It was discovered within the unique constructing paper, the putty used within the colored clerestory home windows and a black tar coating within the weatherboard wall cavities. Encapsulation was the one reasonably priced means ahead. The price of eradicating all contaminated supplies was properly past the monetary attain of the Belief.

Maybe probably the most time-hungry discovery was the discovering of appreciable undulations of the roof planes. In some locations it sagged 35mm. This was problematic for a brand new tile fixing that relied on simply millimetres of tolerance. We used all alternatives for packing to get the roof planes stage.

The tiles have been fastidiously positioned on the roofs utilizing the data gained within the prototype experiment. The primary few rows have been laid utilizing a sheet template after which for the rest, positioned by simply centre strains projected up the roof. This all went easily below the stewardship of Robbie McGreggor and Ronnel Lavandero (each LTM). The decrease pointy finish of the valley roofs, the place the waterspout begins, proved probably the most taxing. Total, the prototype funding had actually paid off.

The brand new copper flashings required a cautious course of. Sadly, there have been no particulars of those within the unique John Scott drawings. I needed to merely work out measurement and form by scaling off images. Not supreme, nevertheless it labored. Anthony Davies (Ants) was answerable for all this copper origami on the job and there was a variety of it. His craft expertise and meticulous consideration to element underpin a lot of the success right here of the venture. The method began by on web site measurement utilizing the contract drawings for design intent, mocking up a small piece (typically full templates in plastic sheeting) and inspecting this on web site, remeasuring and preparation of fabrication drawings, checking these after which committing to fabrication in a workshop. To make sure, the primary fabrication piece was delivered to web site and checked once more, after which inexperienced lights got for mass fabrication. We needed to get it proper and Ants did.

The paint color scheme was one other vital space of design analysis. Armed with the age-old conservation conference of utilizing unique colors, these have been uncovered by poring over early color pictures in zoom mode. I additionally engaged Dulux for laboratory testing and consulted with the Scott whānau. The constructing initially had its most important timber stained black (mixture of black paint and turpentine). Different timbers have been merely oiled or varnished. To my delight, shared with Nick, I discovered a particular purple pinstripe to the frames of the clerestory home windows, as soon as regarded as merely pink primer paint. The outside then was not in contrast to the inside immediately. Unsurprisingly, this early coating system wanted common re-coating. It appeared that from the early ’70s onwards, the outside was painted quite a few instances with oil-based colored paints, then acrylics in later years. Many alternative colors have been used as evident within the paint samples topic to laboratory evaluation. Most notably, the clerestory window frames have been painted white and remained so for a few years. We’re not sure if John Scott was concerned in any of those later color schemes.

In an earlier venture, when the Belief refurbished the porch space in 2013, Nick and I attempted to take away the paint from the T&G uncovered kahikatea sarking however have been unsuccessful. It was proving too labour intensive and expensive for little heritage achieve. The resultant 2026 paint scheme continued what we had accomplished to the porch space and integrated the findings from all our analysis. As most architects do, I wanted an overriding idea to hold all the colors collectively and determined to sew collectively a narrative, however that’s for one more time.

The outside of the constructing has come alive once more. Along with the brand new white tiles, new paint and copper flashings, the solar performs its half on the surface. It creates a wide range of very fascinating shadow patterns and, after all, the compulsory colored mild renderings on the sharp new tiles. The contradiction between the liveliness of the inside and the lifelessness of the previous bituminous tiled roof has now been resolved. The constructing woke up from its slumber, contemporary and energised for all to take pleasure in.

Total, the venture did show a problem at each step of the way in which, all particulars needed to be reworked, usually a number of instances. Together with Win Clark, LTM with the unflappable Robbie McGreggor, Jerome Touzrad, Ronnel Lavandero and the remainder of the crew, Ants Davies craftsman in copper origami (flashings), SWP, A&D Decorators, Wellington Scaffolding, Laminex NZ and Jordan Michaels (Dulux) painters and METCON plus others, we did it proud.

I need to say to complete, that while the constructing is now wanting spectacular once more, I hope that my mentor architect John Scott and the sculptor Jim Allen would approve. The comradery of all of the builders on web site and the pleasure of working with Win Clark might be one thing that I’ll all the time fondly keep in mind.

The venture reached sensible completion on 2 March 2026 with an occasion reopening deliberate for 21 March 2026. The Belief is delighted with the end result and is vastly grateful to all of the help and sponsors inside New Zealand and afar. We nonetheless have a substantial sum to boost to make ultimate funds, and all additional assist can be most appreciated.

Watch the dwell stream of the reopening of the Futuna Chapel this Saturday on-line right here.

The Belief is looking for further help to make ultimate funds due for the restoration venture. If you need to donate a tile(s), your help can be most appreciated.