Seattle University Chapel of St. Ignatius

Brief Overview

Skanska's value engineering input on the design of Seattle University's Chapel of St. Ignatius resulted in a drastic but successful scope change, reshaping construction methods and saving the university a considerable amount of money.

The award-winning, 6,100-square-foot chapel, which is recognized for its unique geometry, features a radius steel roof structure, a 3,200-square-foot reflecting pool and an architectural concrete bell tower.
The original design by renowned architecture firm Steven Holl Architects of New York was based on a concrete foundation, a structural steel floor system and 35-ft tall monolithic cast-in-place exterior walls. Skanska reviewed the wall system and identified a less expensive and higher quality method: 21 interlocking tilt-up panels cast on site.

Revising the wall panels had far-reaching impacts on the rest of the design. The elevated structural deck of the chapel would become the casting bed for a majority of the wall panels, requiring a revision of the structural steel design to support the weight of the panels before they were lifted into place. Crews used eight-inch hollow core planks with a topping slab to handle the weight. Other panels were cast on the bottom of the chapel's reflecting pool.

The interlocking panels were hoisted and erected in two-and-a-half days. Skanska's alternate construction method saved the university more than $210,000, or six percent of the total budget.