St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Tallahassee, Florida, used reinforced insulated concrete forms (ICF) for most of its exterior walls while retaining a traditional cruciform plan, arched openings and tall gables. The manufacturer-authored project account says the church was completed in 2014 after 20 months of construction, with ICF chosen to combine structural strength, continuous insulation and acoustic mass without adding separate acoustic treatment.
The account describes several demanding details: gable ends rising to 68 feet, 10-inch ICF cores in those gables, 8-inch cores elsewhere, a site dropping almost 12 feet from west to east, and curved openings formed with workshop-made cavity closers, foam templates and plywood reinforcement. Its energy and mechanical claims are useful project evidence, but they are not independent measurements.
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Project at a glance
| Item | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Building | St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Tallahassee, Florida |
| Completion | June 2014 |
| Construction duration | 20 months |
| Reported project cost | $9.2 million |
| Floor area | 35,369 square feet |
| Plan and style | Traditional cruciform plan on an east–west axis, with arched doors and windows |
| Wall system | Reinforced insulated concrete forms (ICF), with rebar and concrete |
| Floor system | Two-way concrete slab floors |
| Exterior finish | Cast stone and rock cast stone veneer |
| ICF coverage | Approximately 87% of exterior walls and 15% of interior walls |
| Gable geometry | 68 feet at the apex; 10-inch ICF cores in the gables |
| Typical ICF core | 8 inches in most other areas |
| Site conditions | Nearly 12 feet of fall from west to east |
| Reported August 2014 consumption | 82,368 kWh |
| Reported cooling-system comparison | Overall cooling requirement described as one-third lower than a conventional-construction requirement |
These figures come from a Building Design + Construction article published March 2, 2018, under the byline “Nudura.” It is a manufacturer-authored case study, so the project data and stated rationale should be read as the account’s report rather than as an independently audited performance study.
Why the church team selected ICF
Insulated concrete forms are stay-in-place forms made from rigid foam panels or blocks. The forms create a cavity that is filled with reinforced concrete; after the pour, the foam remains as continuous insulation on both sides of the concrete. The concrete supplies mass and structural capacity, while the foam reduces thermal bridging and helps the wall resist air movement through the enclosure.
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For this church, the account says ICF was considered an alternative to block construction. The stated reasons were slimmer walls, no need for additional acoustic treatment and thermal properties that allowed smaller mechanical equipment. In practical terms, the team was trying to solve three problems with one wall assembly: carrying the loads of a large worship building, moderating heat flow in Florida’s climate and limiting sound transmission in spaces where speech, music and reverberation matter.
Those are design objectives, not guaranteed outcomes. Wall thickness depends on the concrete core, reinforcement, finishes and structural design, and mechanical sizing must be established by project-specific load calculations. The case study does not publish a conventional-design baseline, a whole-building energy model or independent acoustic testing.
How ICF was distributed through the building
Exterior walls carried most of the enclosure work
The project account places ICF in approximately 87% of the exterior walls. That proportion means the form system was not limited to a small addition or isolated energy-saving feature; it formed the dominant exterior enclosure while the building retained a masonry-like appearance through its cast-stone and rock cast-stone veneer.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsAbout 15% of interior walls reportedly used ICF. Interior applications can provide substantial mass and sound separation, but they also require coordination with doors, services, finishes and connections to the exterior wall system. The published account does not identify every interior location, so it is not possible to determine from the article which rooms received ICF or why those locations were selected.
Different core widths addressed different geometry
The tall gable ends used ICF blocks with 10-inch concrete cores. Most other areas used 8-inch cores. A wider core can provide additional concrete area and room for reinforcement where height, lateral loads or concentrated forces demand it, while a narrower core can reduce wall thickness and material use in less demanding portions of the structure. Final adequacy depends on engineering calculations, reinforcing schedules, pour sequencing and connection details; the case study does not publish those calculations.
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Concrete, reinforcement and slabs formed a unified structure
The walls were reinforced with rebar and filled with concrete, and the floors were described as two-way concrete slabs. This combination places the church in a structural system where wall reinforcement, slab reinforcement, roof reactions and openings must be coordinated before concrete placement. It also explains why the formwork plan mattered: a misplaced opening or a weakly supported curve could affect both the appearance and the structural continuity of the wall.
Adapting ICF to a steeply sloping site
The site fell nearly 12 feet from west to east. Rather than treating that grade change as a single deep excavation, the project account says the north and south foundations were tiered. Stepping the foundations can reduce the amount of wall buried below grade and therefore reduce the extent of below-ground waterproofing required.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallA stepped foundation still demands careful surveying and sequencing. Each level has to align with the next so that reinforcing steel, concrete placement and floor elevations remain continuous. Waterproofing, drainage, backfill and transitions between tiers must be detailed to prevent water from collecting at the steps. The article identifies the tiered approach and its waterproofing benefit, but does not provide drawings, drainage specifications or inspection results.
How the builders formed the arched openings
Arched doors and windows were central to the church’s traditional appearance, but curved openings are more difficult to form than standard rectangular ones. The account describes a repeatable fabrication method:
- Shape the cavity closers in the workshop. The closers were made to the required curve before they reached the wall installation area.
- Use each closer as a template. The curved piece guided the cutting of the foam ICF blocks, allowing the opening geometry to be transferred consistently.
- Reinforce larger openings with plywood. Plywood was added below the larger curves to keep the foam and formwork from buckling when fresh concrete was placed.
- Coordinate steel and concrete placement. The curved form had to retain its shape while rebar and concrete were installed, with enough access for consolidation around the arch.
This approach illustrates an important ICF reality: the system can accommodate non-rectangular architecture, but unusual geometry moves work into detailing and fabrication. The foam is easy to cut, yet the finished wall still has to resist wet-concrete pressure and maintain the position of reinforcement. Temporary bracing and backing therefore become part of the design, not an afterthought.
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What the project account says about thermal, acoustic and mechanical performance
Thermal and equipment rationale
The manufacturer-authored article says the ICF walls’ thermal properties reduced the size of the mechanical equipment needed for the church. It also says the system addressed structural, thermal and acoustic concerns at the same time. Continuous insulation and concrete mass can support those goals, but actual equipment capacity depends on orientation, glazing, roof assembly, infiltration, occupancy, lighting, ventilation and local weather data. None of those inputs is published in the case account.
Reported air-conditioning arrangement
The church reportedly uses two smaller air-conditioning units operating in parallel. One unit was second-hand, and both were said to run only when the building was fully occupied. A church with variable attendance can benefit from staging equipment, but a control strategy must still maintain humidity, ventilation and acceptable conditions during setup, cleaning, rehearsals and partial occupancy. The account does not state the units’ capacities, efficiencies, control sequences or maintenance history.
What the energy number does—and does not—show
The article reports 82,368 kWh of energy consumption for August 2014. It also says that additional air exchanges were needed because of occupancy and building tightness, while the overall cooling system was reduced by one third compared with requirements for conventional construction.
That figure is a single month, not a normalized annual result. August weather, service schedules, event attendance, thermostat settings and ventilation rates can all change consumption. The article does not disclose the conventional-construction baseline, modeling assumptions, utility interval data or an independent review. The number is therefore best used as a project-specific observation, not as a universal prediction for every ICF church.
Construction coordination that mattered most
Large worship buildings expose weaknesses in coordination quickly. The St. Peter’s account points to several areas where the ICF method had to be integrated with the architecture and structure:
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- Wall-to-slab interfaces: two-way slabs, wall reinforcement and openings had to be aligned before the pour.
- High gables: the 68-foot peaks required stable bracing, carefully planned lifts and reinforcement appropriate to the height and wind exposure.
- Curved openings: templates and plywood backing kept the arches in shape under concrete pressure.
- Stepped foundations: tiered levels had to maintain elevation, drainage and reinforcing continuity across the sloping site.
- Veneer support: cast-stone and rock cast-stone finishes needed attachment and bearing details compatible with the ICF wall.
- Services and finishes: electrical boxes, conduits, plumbing penetrations and interior finishes had to be planned before the foam cavities were closed or covered.
These coordination requirements are not unique to one manufacturer. They are characteristic of reinforced ICF construction whenever a building combines tall walls, heavy finishes, complex openings and a demanding structural grid.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Cost and schedule: what can be responsibly concluded
The case study reports a $9.2 million project cost and completion in June 2014 after 20 months. Those are useful historical facts, but they cannot establish a current cost per square foot or a payback period. Construction prices, labor availability, code requirements, financing, site work and finish selections vary widely by location and date. The account does not separate the ICF package from foundations, structure, finishes, mechanical systems, design fees or site development.
Nor does it provide a schedule comparison against block or steel framing. ICF can reduce the number of separate enclosure trades, but it may require specialized crews, bracing, pump access and detailed preplanning. A fair comparison would measure the complete installed wall assembly and the effect on downstream trades, not just the price of forms or concrete.
Architectural recognition and design intent
AIA Tallahassee gave the project a merit award in December 2013. The award statement reproduced in the article reads: “There is a wealth of historic facilities to draw from and this project does it masterfully. The building truly captures the spirit of what a church of this denomination should feel like. The architect’s use of scale, proportion and rhythm is exemplary.” The statement is presented without a named speaker in the source.
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What another church can learn from this example
Start with performance targets, not a product label
Define allowable heating and cooling loads, acoustic goals, durability expectations, fire-resistance requirements and the desired appearance first. Then compare ICF with block, cast-in-place concrete, masonry veneer over framed walls or other assemblies using the same functional criteria.
Model the difficult geometry early
If a design includes arches, high gables, towers or stepped foundations, resolve those details during schematic and structural design. Confirm where forms will be cut, how they will be braced, how concrete will reach each lift and how reinforcement will pass around openings.
Budget the whole assembly
Include forms, concrete, reinforcing steel, bracing, pumping, labor, waterproofing, veneer supports, penetrations and finish interfaces. Ask bidders to identify exclusions so that an apparently inexpensive wall is not compared with an incomplete conventional assembly.
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Churches often have highly variable schedules. Mechanical design should account for peak gatherings, rehearsals, classrooms, cleaning and unoccupied periods, while maintaining humidity control and required outdoor-air rates. Staged equipment can help, but only when controls and commissioning are specified.
Demand verifiable performance data
For an energy claim, request utility records covering at least a full year, weather normalization, occupancy information and a clearly defined baseline. For acoustics, request field test results for the actual wall and floor assemblies. Treat manufacturer case studies as useful descriptions of intent and construction, not substitutes for independent measurement.
Bottom line
St. Peter’s Anglican Church demonstrates how ICF can support a traditional church form while addressing structural walls, insulation and sound control in one coordinated assembly. Its most instructive features are the project-specific responses to tall gables, arched openings and a sharply sloping site. The reported mechanical and energy benefits are promising but remain claims from a 2018 manufacturer-authored account: the published material does not provide independent verification, a full-year energy record or a documented comparison method.
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