The Portfolio · No. VIII

Groin Vaulting

Radial and elliptical groin vaults, every member machine-cut off-site.

LocationGrayson area · Georgia
ArchitectWilliam T. Baker
General contractorMagbee Custom Homes

Back story

Chuck Magbee came to Bill Kemper asking if he knew what groin vaulting was, which he did, and whether he had ever framed a groin ceiling. He had not, but he wanted to.

Bill Kemper did not frame the house, and the hallway was already drywalled. No spring lines, radiuses or details of how the vaults would work themselves around the openings were provided, so part of the design is his own.

The whole ceiling was prefabricated in a garage, shipped to the job site and installed. His workforce then pre-cut the sheetrock for the drywall crew using his 3-D production drawings.

Special features

  • Radial and elliptical groin vaulting.
  • Barrel ceiling over entry is engineered to accommodate the weight of the roof bearing down from above.
  • All radius members were precision machine cut. No jig saws were used.
  • All structural components were manufactured off-site.
  • Decimal inch design & production drawings provided by Wm. C. Kemper Consulting for the ceiling's structural elements including the sheetrock.

Special recognition

Mark A. Senn

Mr. Senn carefully manufactured and labeled all components off-site for this complex ceiling structure.

Christopher Keibler

Mr. Keibler carefully transported and installed the precut ceiling. He then directed the precutting and installation of the sheetrock for the complex ceiling.

In pictures

Groin vault top view
Groin vault top view
Hall End A
Hall End A
Hall End B
Hall End B
Utilizing precision radius and elliptical machinery and proprietary CAD output, all wood components were cut off-site in old garage. No scribe marks, of any kind, were used in cutting the radiuses and ellipses.
Utilizing precision radius and elliptical machinery and proprietary CAD output, all wood components were cut off-site in old garage. No scribe marks, of any kind, were used in cutting the radiuses and ellipses.
Carefully labeled pieces and decimal-inch accurate proprietary CAD output aids in easy on-site installation.
Carefully labeled pieces and decimal-inch accurate proprietary CAD output aids in easy on-site installation.
Pencil on wall is architectural designer William T. Baker's rendering of the finished product.
Pencil on wall is architectural designer William T. Baker's rendering of the finished product.
Ceiling was designed by Wm. C. Kemper Consulting to accommodate doors and openings in hallway.
Ceiling was designed by Wm. C. Kemper Consulting to accommodate doors and openings in hallway.
View from foyer through hallway into great room; Green primer on columns are faux finished in finished house.
View from foyer through hallway into great room; Green primer on columns are faux finished in finished house.
View down the hallway. Later Corinthian Concurrent pre-cut all the sheetrock for the ceiling utilizing the proprietary 3-D production drawings of Wm. C. Kemper Consulting.
View down the hallway. Later Corinthian Concurrent pre-cut all the sheetrock for the ceiling utilizing the proprietary 3-D production drawings of Wm. C. Kemper Consulting.