MAGPLY SPECIFIED FOR ROOF BUILD UP ON BALLYMENA “LARGE CHURCH FACILITY”

The Gateway on the outskirts of Ballymena is one of the most ambitious private developments ever undertaken in Northern Ireland, Green Pastures. The 12,000m² church facility comprises a 1,650-seat auditorium with wrap-around malls and recreational, training, and other ancillary facilities all extending across some 24-acre site, where the complex roof construction is making use of Magply boards as part of a high-performance specification. Located on the outskirts of the town, the project has taken shape due to the rapid growth in popularity of the Green Pastures Church, with planning permission having been obtained to include other activities, which will be of such value to the people of County Antrim.

The Green Pastures Church is currently located in a smaller purpose-built facility in Galgorm, Ballymena, and has sold its current facility to the adjacent business, WrightBus. In 2016, however, the church leadership team signed a multi-million-pound contract with main contractor Martin & Hamilton to construct what has been described as a state-of-the-art church facility, the like of which has not been seen in the UK or Ireland. Designed by HPA Architects from Craigavon, it will be the new home for Green Pastures Church family and the support base for all its ministries operating throughout the wider region.

The recently completed 3,600m² roof over the auditorium and sports hall uses perforated metal decking to span the main steelwork, with an infill of Rockwool insulation. This is then covered by a vapour check membrane and a layer of 12mm thick Magply boards, specified to carry 150mm of Hardrock DD underlay and a further 60mm of Hardrock Multifix insulation which is weathered by a Sarnafil single-ply roofing membrane. All the materials were supplied by Pawling’s Insulation & Supplies Ltd. of Belfast and installed by McCavery Roofing, creating a roof construction offering excellent thermal, acoustic, and fire performance, as well as the ability to cope with snow and wind loadings as well as other climatic conditions.

The site manager for McCavery Roofing, Stevie Jones, commented: “This is a large installation of some 3,600 square meters, with the auditorium and the higher level roof over the sports complex, both featuring the use of the Magply boards. They are being mechanically fixed to the decking prior to installing the two layers of Rockwool and then the Sarnafil membrane. Work has gone well so far and we expect to complete the roof installation to schedule by the end of March.”

Magply features an MgO formulation to offer a fire-safe and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plywood or OSB products. Additionally, the unique production process keeps the chloride content to just 0.01%, enhancing both stability and long-term durability. Crucially, Magply carries internationally recognized accreditations confirming the boards’ ability to deliver 90 minutes’ integrity and insulation under test conditions.

The church facility is scheduled for completion in autumn next year and it also has its own restaurant, coffee shop, gym, dance studio, sports hall, training college, and recording studios.

The wider Gateway development includes housing, a hotel, supermarket, car showrooms, riverside restaurants, an outdoor pursuits’ center, a training and education center, student accommodation, a nursing home, an all-weather football pitch, and a wedding chapel. This will be an ongoing development over the next 10 years or so.