Project Overview
Situated on nearly 12 acres and encompassing more than 95,000 ft2, the Layton Utah Temple is the nineteenth temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built in Utah and the second built in Davis County. The structure, which features 386 precast concrete panels and 56 glass-fiber-reinforced concrete (GFRC) panels, rises approximately 80 ft to the top of its highest wall and about 202 ft above grade at the west tower spire. A statue on top of the west tower brings the height to 215 ft.
Durability, Reliability, Community
The temple is located in an area at high risk for earthquakes. To meet the project’s seismic design requirements, more than half of the precast concrete panel skin was installed over poured concrete shear walls. With this approach, the exterior precast panel system had to be designed to adapt to both rainscreen and spray-applied foam insulation vapor envelope techniques. According to Jeff Dodge, AIA, LEED AP, senior associate with Naylor Wentworth Lund Architects, precast concrete was the material of choice for the work for several reasons.
“Precast concrete offered a cost-effective approach to exterior wall construction, especially when used in conjunction with spray-applied foam insulation as both a thermal and moisture barrier,” he said. “It was also selected for material durability and long-term ease of maintenance. Additionally, because the temple is located along flight paths of Hill Air Force Base, we also selected precast for its acoustical properties and inherent mass.”
Willis Construction Co. of San Juan Bautista, California, manufactured the precast concrete building envelope with carved seedling and cherry blossom details inspired by local orchard. This design treatment is also present inside of the temple, carrying the motif throughout the entire structure. The precast concrete and GFRC panels boast a light sandblasted finish and were matched for color, giving the temple its bright, welcoming appearance.
“A religious building such as this one is a beautiful asset to the community,” Dodge said. “It will provide many years of worship opportunities to the church where worshiping God within the walls of the temple is central to their faith. Temples also draw visitors from all over the world, which promotes the positive visibility of the local community and the strong values prevalent therein.”
Mason Nichols is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based writer and editor who has covered the precast concrete industry since 2013. |