Follansbee(R) TCS II(R) Tops St. Mary’s Visitor Center

Dec. 10, 2009 - PRLog -- FOLLANSBEE, WV…In a unique curved roofing application, Follansbee® TCS II® lends traditional aesthetic appeal to St. Mary’s Spiritual Center Visitor Center in Baltimore, MD.

The new Visitor Center grew out of the need to interpret the St. Mary's Chapel, which once served the oldest Catholic seminary in the United States. Accordingly, modern yet traditional looking building materials were selected to provide the new facility with a timeless look that would blend well with its historic setting.

Installed as a 1” double lock standing seam roof, Follansbee TCS II served as a practical roofing material choice. The curved metal roof combines visual intrigue with durability for a classic, high-performance addition to the building envelope.

"The building's roof is visible, so it was important to carefully consider roofing options,” explains Alan Reed, president and design principal for GWWOInc./Architects. “We wanted a modern material that would coexist comfortably within the historic setting of St. Mary's. Given the arched form, a metal roof was the perfect choice."

“The look and performance of Follansbee metal roofing products continues to make them a practical option for a variety of applications,” explains Edward Thomas, Follansbee vice president and general manager. “For this project, TCS II served as a unique solution in line with the architect’s appearance and formability requirements.”

Organized around two walls—one brick and the other stone—that are remnants of the original seminary, the Visitor Center provides access to both structures with an interior ramp and stairs that brings visitors to a lower lobby and garden level. The east side of the brick wall is new construction, simple but contemporary in design. The west side incorporates an historic wooden colonnade that defines the eastern edge of the chapel grounds.

Construction on the new building began in summer 2008 and was completed in summer 2009. The project team included GWWO, Inc./Architects, Baltimore, MD, as architect, Henry Lewis Contractors, Owings Mills, MD, as general contractor, and York Roofing, York, PA, as the roofing installer. North Coast of York, PA, was the distributor.

Follansbee TCS II, an architectural stainless steel coated with Follansbee's patented ZT® (zinc/tin) alloy, weathers naturally to an attractive gray patina and does not require painting.

The highly versatile TCS II can be tailored to a variety of design forms – from the traditional standing seam roof to vertical walls, barrel applications, shingles and customized sections in flat or spherical shapes.

TCS II is solderable and virtually maintenance-free. Highly corrosion resistant, TCS II has surpassed 30,250 hours of ASTM International salt spray testing with no signs of failure. Competitive metal roofing products generally fail at around 2,000 hours of testing.

To learn more about Follansbee, visit www.follansbeeroofing.com or www.MyBestRoof.com.

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About Follansbee: Follansbee offers a wide range of metal roofing products for commercial and residential construction including Terne II®, KlassicKolors®, TCS II® and TCS SatinTM. Founded in the early 1800s, the Follansbee, WV, company has been manufacturing in its current location for more than 100 years. Modern alloys developed and patented by Follansbee have taken the original tin roof to new heights of performance and longevity. For more information call 1-800-624-6906 or visit www.follansbeeroofing.com or www.MyBestRoof.com.