ENR Southeast 2023 Best Projects
Merit Cultural/Worship - Our Lady of Belen Chapel
Photo courtesy Juan Prieto
Our Lady of Belen Chapel
Miami
Award
Submitted by: Lemartec Corp.
Owner Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
Lead Design Firm Jorge L. Hernandez
General Contractor Lemartec Corp.
Structural Engineer Vaziri & Associates Inc.
MEP Engineer Energy Sciences Inc.
Civil Engineer Ford Armenteros & C.A.P. Engineering
Subcontractors BC&E; Ruiz Electric Corp.; TK Elevator Corp.; Air at Your Door; Muller Fire Protection Inc.; Manny & Lou Plumbing Contractors; American Builders LLC; J&J Waterproofing LLC; Allied Roofing Ind. Inc; Performance Glazing Solutions LLC; Details City Construction Inc.; Quality Painting Solutions; Venur Construction LLC; Atlantic Doors & Hardware Inc.; Sharp Construction LLC; New Holland Custom Woodwork Ltd.; R.E.T.C.; Mardale Specialties Direct Inc.; Hirequest; AES Portable Sanitation Inc.; Williams Scotsman Inc.; Ford Armenteros & Fernandez; United Site Services dba Florida Fence Rental; Doral Graphics; Yesigns Inc.; Recycle Capital; Smith Aerial Photos; Friendly John Inc.; Gomez & Son Fence Corp.; Synergy Equipment
The $8-million Our Lady of Belen Chapel features a one-story, 15,079-sq-ft chapel with a 40-ft high “groin vault” ceiling and a second-story choir loft standing 20 ft high. It is constructed on shallow foundations with cast-in-place concrete columns and beams with CMU walls and shafts.
The Jorge L. Hernandez design references neoclassical architecture—uncommon in Florida. It is characterized by grandeur of scale, simplicity of geometric forms and use of columns and side chapels.
The interiors include extensive stonework. Crews installed a solid marble structure weighing more than 2,500 lb, setting it in position using galvanized pipe sleeves and reinforced scaffolding. The same process was applied to the installation of the stone altar. Installation of stone moldings required individual hoisting and manual labor due to space constraints, with each trim epoxied into place.
Site improvements consisted of a new courtyard area complete with seating, planters, a water feature, a paved drop-off plaza, relocated palm trees and new landscaping. Construction manager Lemartec focused on subcontractor management and minimization of any project delays, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Safety was paramount as the project was built on the active campus of a private school. The team’s efforts enabled the chapel to complete on time and on budget with no OSHA recordable incidents and no lost-time accidents.
