Architecturally speaking, a building that is designed and constructed to be a “50-year building” is considered the gold standard in today’s world. That is not to say that we only expect the building to perform for fifty years, but it would suggest that survival focused renovations and increased maintenance can be expected; especially in a harsh Gulf Coast environment.
The solid masonry mass walls of Sacred Heart Church place it in a category best described as a multi-hundred year building. Buildings constructed similarly can be expected to survive literally hundreds of years if they can be protected from outside influences (i.e. earthquake, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.) and water infiltration. Zero/Six conducted a forensic study and evaluated the exterior envelope to address all water infiltration issues experienced within the Sacred Heart Church building.
