Armenia in the Desert

A LIGHT ANSWER

That other option has its own distinctly Armenian flair, and consists of a different Armenian stone installed by someone with ties to Armenia.

Fresno, Calif.-based Fresno Marble & Granite took on the job of stone supplier for the project. Mardig Yepremian, a co-owner in the firm, says his partner, Shahe Boyadjian, is a member of the board of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of North America, based in Burbank, Calif.

Click photo to enlarge“Of course, we carry materials from the motherland,” Yepremian says. “That was the main reason we were chosen to supply the materials.”

Along with being lighter in color than Martin’s proposal, the stone chosen for the cladding was cut as 3/8” tiles, with the predominant sizes being 24” X 24”, 12” X 12”, and 12” X 6”. Yepremian says it took approximately three months to get them cut and shipped to Los Angeles.

For the installation, the congregation chose Yervand “Eddy” Galstian, owner of Eddy’s Construction Co., in North Hollywood, Calif. Besides being Armenian, Galstian says he came highly recommended by several stone suppliers in the Los Angeles area.

“I gave them a price and they said, ‘Eddy, you’ve got the job,’” he relates. “I’m an expert in tile and stonework.”

Galstian adds that the job totaled about 10,000 ft² of material, and took approximately two months for a crew of six – which occasionally grew to seven with Galstian – to install.

“The largest part of the job was the 12” X 6” tiles,” he says. “The 24” X 24” tiles ran the first two rows as a base. Above that, it was drawn by Charlie Martin to be a mix of 12” X 12” and 12” X 6”.”

“The best I could do was lay it out in horizontal striations,” says Martin. “The Armenian buildings are so unbelievably beautiful, but I don’t think you can readily see this.”

“The idea was to have the rough-textured surface that looks like big blocks,” says contractor Asaro. “That was the idea, and Charlie and Eddy made sure it looked about as big and blocky and authentic as you could get, with the mortared joints and everything.”Click photo to enlarge

Galstian says the only prep work his crew did on the block exterior was waterproofing. The tiles were installed using a modified thinset mortar with a modified exterior grout for the joints.

Although Eddy’s does both interior and exterior work, he adds that he’s found the modified thinset to be the best option for exterior jobs because it helps with the weight of the tiles, and also gives proper bonding.

Beyond the look of the stone, Asaro says perhaps the biggest challenge was the church’s dome.

“We built the dome on the ground and then hauled it up with a crane,” the contractor explains. “We had a heck of a time getting a metal roof on it, so we did all the work on the ground, hooked it up, and flew it up there. Then, Eddy and his crew got up and put the stone on it.”

Galstian says even that wasn’t much of a challenge, since the project was already scaffolded and moving the tiles wasn’t too difficult.

Now that the project is finished, Galstian is particularly proud of it.

“I like it very much,” he says. “But, then, everybody I know likes it.”

“Everybody loves the building,” agrees Asaro. “It’s a unique structure, and I really enjoyed the experience. Everybody was great to work with, including the people from the church.”

Architect Martin is a bit more ambiguous. While he’s pleased with the overall project, he’s not giving up on doing different colored stone in striations, and has worked up plans for a home that could also be a small chapel.

“When I drive by St. Garabed, I can say it’s not the American way, but if we had done some other things it could be more the Armenian way,” he says. “I’m kind of a mercenary for correct religious architecture.”

Client: St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church, Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Architect: Charles L. Martin, Architect, Palm Desert, Calif.
Contractor: Asaro Builders Inc., Palm Desert, Calif.
Stone Supplier: Fresno Marble & Granite, Fresno, Calif.
Stone Installer: Eddy’s Construction Co., North Hollywood, Calif.

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