TMWhere style meets performanceCity Hall Gets an Upgrade

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Katy, Texas, has grown quickly as Houston residents have begun to move north and west into the “Energy Corridor.” From 2005 to 2015, the town’s population grew at a rate of four to six percent per year, reaching an estimated 309,500 in 2015. With such a booming market, traffic through the Katy town hall had increased sharply enough to require a replacement.

The previous city hall was a one-story, non-descript building that was starting to crumble after 40 years of use. It was part of the Katy administration complex consisting of four separate buildings that housed city staff and city council meetings.

The brand new, three-story building brought all those government functions together into one footprint. The first floor houses public services, where Katy residents can come pay their water bill, pick up a permit or attend council meetings. They also expanded the council chamber to fit around 65 seats and overflow viewing with windows into the lobby and monitors for listening in.

For styling, the town surveyed residents, with results unanimously desiring “a traditional, hometown-USA building.” It was also designed to serve all purposes efficiently, plus it’s energy efficient.

“The city of Katy wanted a new building that acknowledged their heritage and tradition but would also take them through the next 40 years,” said Jack Duran, executive vice president of Turner Duran Architects, LP, which has been part of the Katy community since the early 1980s.

Case Study: City Hall Gets an UpgradeLocation: Katy, Texas

Completed: Spring 2016

Designer and Architect: Jack Duran, Turner Duran Architects, LP

Builder: Durotech

Fypon Products Used: Built-up crown moulding, gable moulding, dentil

block, flat trim, fascia moulding, cornice moulding and exterior pilasters.

Achieving the desired look while also maintaining a historic aesthetic on the exterior called for thoughtful moulding and trim selections. The Fypon team was brought in to conduct a take-off and estimate, including drawing in the product on the plans. With a wide variety of moulding and accessories to choose from, the Fypon team pulled several samples and stock products to show, then eventually created the custom products for the job.

Custom crown moulding, gable moulding, fascia and cornices were specially made for the project and can be seen most prominently on the clock tower. A centerpiece of the building, the clock tower almost serves as a beacon for those traveling around and through Katy, as it can be seen from several locations on the highway. Almost 1,500 linear feet of Fypon moulding was used on the exterior of the building, including 637 feet of custom-made gable moulding and 637 feet of crown moulding.

“To many observers, the exterior detailing is the most distinctive aspect of the building that conveys the historical aesthetic and traditional look that was so important in the initial conversations,” said Duran. “The moulding from Fypon really helped us create that look and feel.”

With that much moulding—and the sheer amount of custom built-up pieces—Fypon regional manager Chad Gleckler and builder specialist Kyle Marik worked directly with the general contractor during construction to provide support during installation. “We were on the jobsite a number of times to ensure the custom product was installed properly, since it was made specially for this building.” Gleckler said. “We wanted to ensure the installation process went smoothly, so there weren’t any issues in the future.”

Even more impressive than the flat trim mouldings used on the clock tower are the two build-up configurations that surround the building as an extension of the soffit that are 36” and 65” tall. They also used almost 400 Fypon dentil blocks to accent and finish off the exterior of the building.

“Fypon provided a cost-effective solution to the intricate mouldings and details envisioned for the project,” said Duran. “Fypon products met and exceeded the specific project needs and all of our expectations.”

Duran also said as they evaluate design details and costs on other projects, they will definitely take Fypon’s offerings into consideration. Overall, to the observers of the building, Fypon’s exterior detailing is what gives Katy City Hall the historic aesthetic citizens requested and lived up to the town’s standards.