The DSN Community Center - Innovation for the Greater Good

SPECIES FEATURED IN THIS ARTICLE: Ipé

FIND INFORMATION ON THIS AND ADDITIONAL SPECIES AT WWW.IWPAWOOD.ORG

The DSN Community Center in Deal, New Jersey, features an Olympic-size saltwater pool, a 3,000 square foot sundeck that slopes gently onto a black sand beach, and 570 private bath houses. The center has been a popular gathering place - for residents of Deal and their guests for more than half a century.

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the facility in 2020, its Board of Directors took advantage of the closure to perform much needed renovations, including replacement of the exterior siding walls. The architects’ original wall design featured long horizonal Ipé siding. Ipé is commonly used in decking applications, and it was specified because of its density, strength and ability to hold up in the coastal environment. But the same characteristics that make Ipé ideal for decking make it challenging to use as a siding material. Due to its hardness and density, Ipé can be challenging to hang and requires a sturdy substructure to support its weight.

J. Gibson McIlvain Co. designed an innovative modular wall concept to realize the architects’ design vision. Inspired by the Cedar shake shingle roofs that are common throughout New England, they adapted the shingle concept using slats of Ipé. Workers at the company’s millwork house sawed and assembled Ipé decking into 24” x 24” panels designed to hang individually on stainless steel brackets embedded in the substructure. The panels screw together giving the wall face a clean, modern look in keeping with the Jersey Shore aesthetic.

“These panels function like shingles and offer the benefits of a shingle application yet are strong, durable and appropriate for the environment,” said Shannon Rogers, Director of Marketing for J. Gibson McIlvain Co.

The benefits of the modular design are numerous. Siding boards are typically ten or more feet long and can be difficult to replace when damaged. The 24” x 24” Ipé panels can be easily replaced. “Simply pop one of those off the wall and pop another in place. One person can lift and install an individual tile by fastening it to the steel bracket,” Rogers said.

In addition, shipping and logistics is easier because transporting the tiles can achieved by shipping a standard pallet. This configuration also offers a viable solution for Ipé offcuts that may otherwise go to waste. “It’s perfectly good lumber that nobody wants,” Rogers said. “We were able to use offcuts that would otherwise have been wasted. And with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting shipping and logistics, suppliers would not have been able to supply the amount of 20 foot Ipé timbers originally specified on the timeline needed.”

The modular concept really was a win-win-win solution. It reduced the cost of the project, simplified installation, and used material that may not otherwise be used. In addition, the overlaid panel configuration allows the wall to shed rainwater and provides a vapor barrier making them more weatherproof. Above all, the most important benefit is repairability of the wall over the long term, according to Rogers.

The onsite installation work at the DSN Community Center was done by local contractors who donated their time. The modular siding format enabled them to work individually or in small crews, putting in a few hours at a time. The project came together as time and manpower permitted, and the center was able to reopen just as COVID restrictions eased and allowed community members to return.

---

“This was a real feel-good project,” Rogers said. “It came to us as a problem that didn’t have a solution, so we designed it and figured it out. The modular panel concept is a really a cool idea and there are so many benefits to the modular style. We have since introduced it to other customers.” iw