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Saint Raphael Parish Center, Medford, Massachusetts

Saint Raphael Parish CenterThis new building was the final phase of the master plan for this closely knit Catholic parish in West Medford.  DeIulis Brothers submitted the lowest bid for the project; however, it was more than $1M over the budget.  We successfully identified and acheived cost reductions that brought the project within budget and allowed construction to go forward.

Fifteen years earlier DeIulis Brothers had built a new stone faced church for the parish after the original had been destroyed by fire.  With its prominent bell tower and an interior featuring an exposed wood ceiling supported by an elaborate system of glu-laminated columns, beams and trusses, the new Italian themed church sat in stark contrast to the Spanish style architecture and stucco exterior of the parish center that was only a short distance away.

George “Butch” Razoyk, the architect for the new parish center, sought to create a unitary appearance by joining the new building with the church and designing a shared interior space.  The design features for the exterior closely resembled and complemented those of the church, including a matching entry and tower.  The new building also extended closer to the parish K-8 school, separated only by a driveway.  A side entrance at grade level allowed for easy access from the school.

The interior spaces of the 25,000 square foot two story building were designed for multiple uses.  A wide corridor provides a large open space through the center of the first floor; on either side are mulitiple conference rooms, some with operable partitions to allow them to be opened up into larger spaces, a senior center, a reception area and the administrative offices for the parish, and restrooms.  A large reception hall with a full kitchen for parish functions occupies the second floor and a separate youth center is located on the basement level.

At the start of construction, DeIulis Brothers salvaged the stone from the courtyard wall outside the church that would be re-used to build a new stone wall for an expanded courtyard.  The exposed aggregate paving that was original to the church courtyard was also removed, to be replaced with Aqua Brick pavers that would allow for surface water to be recharged into the ground.

The proximity of the new building to the church and school necessitated the installation of earth retention systems during the excavation and foundation phase; helical piles were used to shore and underpin a section of the church foundation.  The limited site offered minimal lay down areas and made for a challenging steel erection.  The expansive hip roof was framed out of wood, using a complex system of wood trusses connected to the steel frame.

DeIulis Brothers used its own crews to complete the concrete foundations, masonry and carpentry work on the project, including installations of the extensive custom millwork on the interior and exterior.

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Project Summary

25,000 square feet of new construction, structural steel frame topped with an expansive hip roof framed using a complex system of wood trusses, and finished with a combination of stone and EIFS

  • Contract Value: $6M+
  • Completion Date: March, 2011
  • Owner: Archdiocese of Boston
  • Architect: Architectural Design Concepts, Inc. / George Razoyk