Ronstan Brings Nautical Character and Structural Strength to the San Diego Yacht Club

Jan. 20, 2011 - PRLog -- Photos: http://www.larsonobrien.com/ronstan/html/san_diego_yacht_club.html

PORTSMOUTH, RI…Ronstan Tensile Architecture, an end-to-end specialty contractor of tensile architecture, provides 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 last year. 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 Clubs’ facilities.

“Ronstan came to mind immediately when specifying a provider for the roofing structure,” says 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 prestressed 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,” says 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,” says 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,” says 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.

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Ronstan Tensile Architecture provides the architectural/engineering communities of North America, Australia and Asia with end-to-end specialty contracting services, technical expertise and bold imagination that have resulted in some of the world’s most intriguing examples of tensile architecture. Ronstan maintains the unique capability to provide comprehensive services for small to midsize projects incorporating principles of tensile architecture, including concept development, design assistance, cable and fitting selection, structural analysis and installation. Incorporated in Melbourne, Australia, in the 1950s, Ronstan Tensile Architecture operates offices internationally. For more information, visit www.RonstanTensileArch.com.