Lookout Mountain, GA
The Dora Brown Chapel and Fine Arts Building at Covenant College was designed by Philadelphia ecclesiastical architect Harold Wagoner in 1976 and completed in 1978. The building is roughly hexagonal in plan, with projecting stained glass window bays facing north, east and south. The stained glass windows were designed and fabricated by the Willet Studio. The exterior walls consist of CMU infill with a rusticated local marble cladding at the exterior and white brick at the interior. The main entrance to the building faces west and is marked by a cross, clad in white marble, which rises from just above the entrance to the top of the building. There is a wide, flat “ridge” running east-west at the highest part of the roof, on either side of which sloped roofs drain to small flat roofs above the projecting stained glass window bays.
Challenge
- Assist project team with identifying likely locations of water ingress at building exterior.
Solutions
- Undertook infrared survey to identify likely areas of moisture infiltration.
- Completed visual survey of exterior walls to assess whether masonry conditions contribute to moisture infiltration.
- Performed drain investigation using video camera with light source and cable (SeeSnake®) to view and document conditions at the internal leaders.
- Performed flood testing and directed water spray testing to better understand the path of water travel through the building roof and walls.
Building Owner
- Covenant College