09/25/2026
Throughout the 1970s and '80s, Unalam manufactured dozens of wooden hyperbolic paraboloid (HP) roofs. While looking through our archives, we came across this architectural case study featuring the Boston College Recreation Complex, one of the many projects completed during that era. While HP roofs are no longer part of what we manufacture today, they remain an interesting part of our history.
These roof panels were built with three layers of plywood glued and stapled together over custom forms in our factory, with a finished tongue-and-groove wood deck underneath. Even more impressive, the fully finished panels were shipped in 14-foot-wide sections, measured just 2-1/4 inches thick, and covered a clear span of more than 42,000 square feet.