Rev. Father Ishak Shokry wanted a facility that would withstand time and grow with the congregation, which has grown to 120 families and over 360 members. But more than the congregation was growing, so was the maintenance and upkeep on their existing facility. They wanted a facility that would be able to serve more than their congregation and be virtually maintenance free with a long lifespan.

They designed a facility would be handicapped accessible with an elevator; 17,000 1st floor + 11,000 2nd floor, 28,000 square feet total, room to grow. The design, by the architects Paradigm Consulting of Texas, incorporated many architectural features such as:

• Arched tops
• Arched windows • Cast-in Crosses • Recesses
• Reveals
• Curves
• Step-backs
• Twintowers.

Many types of construction were considered. However, tilt-up was the only way to achieve the design. Lindsay Lampasona, a concrete construction company with years of experience in tilt-up, was contacted to come and meet with the church committee. Lindsay Lampasona knows that with tilt-up’s diverse design ability, anything you can form – you can pour. They worked with the architects and the church committee to design and engineer panels that would provide the architectural look and the structural strength that only tilt-up can provide. From that first meeting, conception to completion, first service, was a mere 18 months.

The forming of the panels was indeed a key component of the project, with most of the panels having an arched top and detailed recess/reveal components. There was also a curved panel with a tight nine foot radius which made up the alter. Since the floor to panel ratio was not adequate, 3 methods of casting were used; panels were cast on the floor, on casting beds, and stack casting was also done.

There were 61 panels total on the project and 22 of them were unique designs. Yet the arched design and intricate reveals and recesses tied the panels together. The average panel size was 15’ wide by 35’ tall, with a couple 32’ wide by 37’ tall.

The day the curved altar panel was erected, everyone took time for the father to perform a blessing.

The Archangel Michael church had average panels of 50,000 lbs and the heaviest panels weighing in at 106,000 lbs, Lindsay Lampasona selected a 220 ton Lattice boom truck crane, American 9530, to meet the lifting and erection requirements. It took just 3 days to erect the panels to the amazement of the father, the congregation and the nearby neighbors, where once there was only a field, now a church stood.