Museum of Comparative Zoology

Architect

Perry and Radford Architects
Cambridge, Massachusetts

General Contractor

Consigli Construction Co., Inc.
Milford, Massachusetts

Copper Manufacturer

Revere Copper
Rome, New York

The roofing project at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University was a massive undertaking, requiring the duplication of the existing copper roof—the bulk of which consisted of copper panels with vertical batten seams and horizontal flat seams. The new roof system had to also meet requirements set by FM Approvals. The thickness of the copper panels; fasteners for both the copper and wood battens; and the clip thickness and spacing were all factors that had to be engineered. Most of the new roofing material is 20-oz. copper manufactured by Revere Copper. There are nearly 10,000 panels with an exposure of approximately 12" x 42" (30cm – 102cm) matching the existing historical layout. Because of the roof’s low slope, horizontal hook strips needed to be fully soldered to each panel with significant head lap. Altogether, Gilbert & Becker Co., Inc. soldered nearly 6.6 miles (10.6 km) of hook strip. Counting the hidden hook strips, head lap, locked seams and batten caps, more than 70,000 square-feet (of copper was used to cover the 34,000 square-foot (3150 sq. m) roof area. Not only was the installation demanding in the field, but fabrication of the 10,000 panels in the shop was also a challenge to get it done in a timely fashion. Gilbert & Becker took standard sheet metal brakes, notchers and shears and customized them just for this job. Each machine performed one function, and the company created an assembly line of cutting, notching, folding, bending and soldering that moved at a quick enough pace to keep up with the crew of 18 installers at the jobsite. In addition to the panels, the contractor installed all new replicated gutters, downspouts, parapets, chimneys and ventilators for a complete new roof system.

Architectural Categories: Exotic or Unusual Applications, Batten Seam Roofs and Walls, Horizontal Seam Roofs and Walls