St. Mary Cathedral Basilica

civil-municpal / historical-preservation

St. Mary Cathedral Basilica is a Gothic Revival church designed by Paris trained Architect Theodore E. Giraud. The floor plan is a traditional Latin cross with the entrance facing west. The masonry mass wall and timber framed structure includes 500,000 Belgium bricks that had been used for shipping ballast. In 1876, a bell tower, designed by Architect Nicholas Clayton, was added to the east side of the cathedral, and in 1878, a cast-iron statue of “Mary Star of the Sea” was added to the top of the bell tower. In 1884, Clayton raised the twin spires on the west side of the cathedral to eighty feet, an elevation just below that of the bell tower. On August 2, 1979, Pope John Paul II made St. Mary’s Cathedral a minor basilica in recognition of its historical importance. Zero/Six performed an assessment of the exterior building envelope, providing a report outlining findings, suggested next steps, and repair recommendations.

Additional Information

Client: Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Year Built: 1848

Location: Galveston, TX

Expertise:

Building Envelope Assessment

Markets: Civil

Project Status: Completed

Type of Construction: Forensic

Bill is the managing and founding partner of W.H. Coltzer International (WHCI), Zero/Six Consulting, LLC (an architecture and exterior building envelope consulting firm), Z6 Commissioning, LLC (a performance testing firm), and Coltzer Company, LLC (construction company). As the son of a general contractor, Bill grew up participating in the family construction business and after graduating from Texas A&M in 1984, became a licensed Architect in 1993. Since the creation of Zero/Six Consulting, LLC in 2003, Bill has participated in the remediation, design, and testing of numerous facilities across the Nation ranging in values of a few million dollars to over a few hundred million. The combination of construction knowledge, architectural training, and real-world experience gives Bill a unique perspective in the dispute resolution process.

Jeff is the Director of Engineering of Zero/Six Consulting, LLC (an architecture and exterior building envelope consulting firm). After graduating from The University of Texas with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Jeff has used his expertise in the field with roofing, waterproofing, and fenestration inspections, as well as in the office with computer-aided drafting, modeling, and engineering analysis. He has been deeply involved in the testing aspects of building envelope commissioning serving as the Quality Control Manager to ensure the Z6 ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory and team are strictly following international test standards to accurately, objectively, and impartially report on the integrity of building materials and products to certify that the installed systems interface as intended. Jeff has been Appointed Qualified Inspector by The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI).