The new roof on the Goss Opera House will last for years, provide needed insulation, and now is an award-winner.
The Goss Opera House Roof Renovation at 100 E. Kemp in Watertown took first in the Structural Insulated Panel Association’s Renovations category. The roof, designed by TSP, Inc., was completed in May 2020.
#TeamTSP project manager Tadd Holt, who also served as structural engineer, said several reasons led to structural insulated panels (SIP) being chosen for the roof.
“It’s very, very good insulation,” he said. “It’s 12 inches of insulation, and it can be installed quickly. The entire roof had to come off the 130-year-old building, and we didn’t want water to ruin it. Crews could pull it off in sections and replace it.”
Hasslen Construction of Ortonville, MN, installed panels manufactured by Enercept, Inc. of Watertown. The approach enabled a greater speed of assembly, shortening the time of exposure to the elements. It permitted faster renovations and repairs to a building that was damaged by leaks from the previous roof.
The Goss Opera House was built in the 1880s and slowly went dark after the 1930s Depression. A nonprofit group rallied to preserve its history and return the space to active usage. While pedestrians can’t see the roof, its restoration was an essential part of the $4.75 million renovation. That part of the renovation cost $855,000.
It now serves as an event venue for concerts, weddings, plays, dances, and other activities. There are four meeting rooms on the upper level and retail space and a restaurant on the main level.
The speed of assembly shortened the time of exposure to the elements. It permitted faster renovations and repairs to a building that was damaged by leaks from the previous roof.
In addition, Holt solved the problem of a failing structural roof system by supplementing it with clear spanning roof trusses and spanning SIP roof panels over those trusses. “This saved a 130-year-old building from failure and demolition,” the contest entry said.
The award was announced at the Structural Insulated Panel Association’s Building Excellence Awards ceremony in Orlando, FL.