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The Winn Science Center at St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas kept its roof in place during a tornado that the project accounts describe as bringing winds of almost 150 mph across campus. The same accounts say flying building materials penetrated two roof panels, which were later replaced. That is a notable outcome for this building and storm—not proof that a dome, copper roofing, or any single roof design guarantees school safety.
What happened to the Winn Science Center roof?
The 50,000-square-foot science center was dedicated in 2019. On Sunday, October 20 of that year, a tornado crossed the St. Mark’s campus. Two trade-publication project case studies report winds of almost 150 mph across campus and say the Winn Center’s roof remained in place while roofs on other campus buildings were torn off. The accounts also report that flying building materials penetrated two panels, which were replaced afterward.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Those details come from the project case studies in Building Enclosure and Design and Build With Metal. The pages appear to share the same underlying reporting. They do not identify an independent measurement source for the wind figure or provide an engineering report analyzing the roof. The event and performance figures should therefore be understood as the project accounts’ report, not as independently verified measurements.
The distinction matters: the reported result is that the roof remained in place despite localized panel damage. It is not that the roof was untouched, nor that the building was shown to be invulnerable. The two replaced panels are part of the outcome, not a detail to omit from it.
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What was the roof made of?
The project accounts describe two different roof conditions. More than 16,000 square feet of Petersen Snap-Clad panels in 16-ounce copper covered flat-roof portions of the building. The dome used custom-fabricated panels: panels were made in the shop, and their locks were made by hand on site.
That means the headline-worthy dome was not simply a standard flat-roof panel system bent into a curved shape. The accounts distinguish the flat sections’ specified panels from the dome’s custom fabrication and on-site locking work. They do not give panel dimensions, attachment details, seam spacing, underlayment, substrate, fastening schedules, or the engineering calculations used for the roof. Without those details, it would be inaccurate to infer a specific structural mechanism from the reported survival.
According to the project stories, the roofing specification was open rather than tied to a single product at the outset. Texas Roof Management, based in Richardson, Texas, installed the roof and turned to Petersen for the copper panels. The copper roof itself was part of the science center plan from the beginning, rather than a feature introduced only after the storm.
Why did the building have a copper dome?
The dome was designed to fit a campus architectural language that already included copper roofs and red-brick façades. Robert A. M. Stern Architects served as design architects, with GFF Inc.’s Dallas office part of the design team. GFF project architect Xavier Spencer described the design aim as fitting the campus context while allowing the building “to stand out, but not dominate other buildings,” as quoted in the case studies.
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That architectural role helps explain why the roof was distinctive, but it does not establish why it performed as reported in the tornado. A dome’s shape, the copper material, the panel system, the installation, the supporting structure, and the particular storm conditions are different factors. The available accounts do not isolate any one of them as the cause of the roof’s performance.
For the same reason, the case study is not a controlled comparison between a dome and a flat roof, copper and another material, or one panel system and another. The fact that other campus roofs were reportedly torn off provides context for the event, but the sources give no matched specifications, exposure conditions, roof ages, or engineering analysis for those other buildings. It cannot establish that the dome alone made the difference.
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How did the roof hold up in the Texas tornado?
In the project accounts, the central result is that the Winn Center roof remained in place while other campus roofs were torn off, although two panels were penetrated by airborne building materials and replaced. Texas Roof Management director of operations John Wayne Whitten summarized the reported performance: “In terms of performance, the panels did just what they were supposed to do.”
That statement is the installer representative’s assessment as quoted in the project coverage. It is useful context, but it is not a substitute for a forensic report. The articles do not provide measurements of damage, inspection findings for the underlying roof assembly, wind-pressure records at the building, or a breakdown of how different roof areas performed. Nor do they report independent testing after the event.
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Readers should also distinguish the reported campus wind description from a design rating. “Almost 150 mph” is how the case studies characterize the tornado winds across campus; the pages do not state that the roof system had a corresponding tested wind rating or that wind at the roof was measured at that speed. The reported figure should not be read as a certification of the installed assembly for a particular wind speed.
What happened after the storm?
The project accounts say the science center roof became a model for campus roof replacements after the tornado, and that replacement roofs used Petersen PAC-CLAD products. The accounts do not detail which assemblies were selected for each building, whether all replacement roofs used the same system, or how the school evaluated alternatives.
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What can builders and school owners learn from this case?
The case is useful as a project history: it documents a school roof with a custom copper dome, a particular installation and fabrication approach, a severe reported storm, and a repair after flying debris caused localized penetrations. It also shows why a building’s overall roof outcome should include both whether the assembly stayed in place and what damage required repair.
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It is not a general specification or a guarantee that another copper roof or dome will perform the same way. The sources provide no comparative testing, wind rating for the installed system, independent engineering assessment, or cost analysis. A school planning a roof should not take the reported event as a substitute for project-specific design or code review.
When evaluating a similar proposal, owners and design teams can use this case to frame—not answer—questions such as:
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- What wind design criteria and code requirements apply to this specific site and building?
- What complete assembly is being proposed, including supporting structure, deck, underlayment, seams, attachments, edges, and transitions?
- Which details are standard products, and which require custom fabrication or site-made work?
- What project-specific calculations, product documentation, or independent review support the proposed system?
- How will the design address impacts from airborne debris, and what inspection and repair plan follows a severe storm?
- How will the team verify that installation matches the details and requirements established by the design?
The case studies do not answer those questions for other projects; the answers depend on the building and its design team. Their central value is narrower and concrete: the project accounts describe a roof that remained in place in the reported tornado, with two penetrated panels replaced afterward, and a subsequent campus decision to use that roof as a model for replacements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the project accounts do—and do not—establish
They report: a 50,000-square-foot science center dedicated in 2019; more than 16,000 square feet of 16-ounce copper Snap-Clad panels on flat-roof areas; custom-made dome panels with locks made on site; a tornado on October 20, 2019, with winds described as almost 150 mph across campus; a roof that remained in place while other campus roofs were reportedly torn off; and two panels replaced after penetration by flying building materials.
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They do not establish: an independently verified wind speed at the roof, a tested wind rating for the installed assembly, a forensic explanation of the performance, a controlled comparison with other roof shapes or materials, or a universal safety standard for schools. The two articles appear to repeat the same case-study account, so their agreement should not be mistaken for two independent engineering verifications.
That boundary keeps the story meaningful without overstating it. The Winn Science Center’s reported experience is a striking example of one roof’s performance in one event—and a reminder that resilience claims are strongest when the assembly, evidence, damage, and limits are all described together.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Was the roof completely undamaged by the tornado?
No. The project accounts say flying building materials penetrated two panels and that the panels were replaced. They do not provide a full post-storm damage inventory or an engineering inspection report.
Does the reported wind speed mean the roof was rated for almost 150 mph?
No. The case studies describe winds of almost 150 mph across campus, but do not identify an independent measurement source or give a wind rating for the installed roof assembly. A storm description and a product or assembly rating are not interchangeable.
How much did the Winn Science Center cost to build?
The reviewed project accounts do not give a standalone construction cost for the center. Their figure of more than $50 million refers to the school’s construction spending over the preceding decade, not this building alone.
Who designed and installed the science center roof?
Robert A. M. Stern Architects were the design architects, and GFF Inc.’s Dallas office was part of the design team. Texas Roof Management installed the roofing and sourced copper panels from Petersen, according to the project case studies.
