Architecture, Engineering & Planning EVstudio | Denver & Evergreen Architect | Colorado & Central Texas | Blog » Religious

Location Efficiency as the Framework of Activity Centers

John Olson — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:39:32 +0000

The convenience factor, or Location Efficiency, is often a forgotten component of development in a society that has become increasingly automobile dependent. Development occurs with the assumption that people drive and will always get in a vehicle. Location efficiency can be defined as the ability to access the daily basic needs with little or without the use of the automobile. The United States Partnership for Sustainable Communities was created with location efficiency as a foundational element by an inter-agency partnership between HUD (or Department of Housing and Urban Development), DOT (or Department of Transportation) and the EPA (or Environmental Protection Agency). Several advocacy groups, such as the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the Congress for the New Urbanism have relied on this as a foundation for their organizations since their inception.

The United States is beginning to better focus on location efficiency with development as we consider the triple bottom line, that is People, Planet and Profit. In considering the basic human needs, new development has the ability to become holistically sustainable. At EVstudio, we are currently in the process of finalizing construction drawings for a new 10,000 square foot Lecture Hall and over 22,000 square feet of commercial space for Central Texas' Christian House of Prayer (CHOP).

Places of worship, such as CHOP, understand that convenience is a key component to the congregation. Convenience is important to the principles of creating a Place for Worship; a Place of Learning; a Place of Enrichment; a Place for Friendship; and a Place for Service. A community who worships, learns and serves together create an enriching and friendly environment to spend time. CHOP in Killeen, Texas will soon become an even greater community than it already is today. The ability to park once with access to breakfast, worship, conversing with friends, shopping, dining, playing and attending events at the lecture hall is a convenience that is regularly absent in today's society. The future for location efficiency is great for CHOP with the improvements under construction and the potential for future residential capabilities.

Main Street sketch for The Village at Christian House of Prayer in Killeen, Texas. Illustration by John Olson.

The synergies that CHOP is employing are a great model for other activity centers. This opportunity is not limited to places of worship, it can be for a corporate center, military installation, campus and several others.

St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Castle Rock

Jim Houlette — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:19:14 +0000

EVstudio provided post tension foundation design for the recent St Francis of Assisi Church. The Church is being built by Fransen Pittman and designed by Architectural Innovations, LLC.

This was a great project to be a part of. The project was an addition to an existing Church located on top of a hill over looking the front range. The new addition is roughly 19,662sqft added to the existing 8,540sqft.

I love the use of the glulams for this project. It's beautiful. The Glulams were engineered by McGlamery Structural Group and the steel frame was done by Advanced Steel Detailing. You can see more pictures of the project at Advanced Steel Detailing website here. I like to give credit when it's earned and this team did a great job.

Below are some pictures of the site starting with the post tension foundation that EVstudio designed and then moving to more of the framing and nearly completed work.

The Abbey on Adams: Structural Design for a Historic Building Remodel

Adam Denton — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 07:47:03 +0000

EVstudio was recently awarded the contract to provide structural engineering services for the remodeling of a luxury condo unit located in a historic brick church at 14^th and Adams in Denver. This church was repurposed as two unique luxury condo units in 2000. The scope of our services is the design of a new office floor “platform” and roof replacement in the bell tower.

The Bell Tower

The original construction of the bell tower appears to be triple wythe brick covered with a newer brick veneer at the exterior. The bell tower is braced on the south by the structure of what was the original congregation area which includes several magnificent heavy timber trusses (unfortunately hidden from view inside the condos). Because of the age of the brick and mortar beds, the main challenge with this project will be the design of the connection of the new structure to the historic brick walls so that the new loads do not overstress the original building components.

Further updates will follow as the project continues.

New Lecture Hall for Christian House of Prayer in Killeen, Texas

evstudio — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:06:36 +0000

We recently completed the design of a lecture hall for the Christian House of Prayer in Killeen, Texas. The lecture hall complements their existing facilities and provides an opportunity for collegiate style lectures on their campus. We have also completed design for a neighboring retail center.

Steel Stud Track Attachment to Masonry with Simpson Wedge-All

Adam Denton — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 06:08:52 +0000

Recently I have been working on a lecture hall project in Killeen, Texas. The structure of this lecture hall is primarily going to be composed of steel roof framing members and concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls. Covering the entrance to this lecture hall is a covered colonnade. The visual architectural requirements of the colonnade’s covering included reducing the depth as much as economically feasible. After a few design iterations it was determined that an 8 inch deep cold formed steel stud roof would meet the structural requirements and satisfy the architect’s design intent.

The attachment of the steel track to the exterior CMU walls of the lecture hall could have accomplished several ways. In fully grouted CMU block, a 5/8 inch diameter Simpson Wedge-All expansion anchor will provide 625 pounds of resistance in withdrawal (pull out) and 1,635 pounds of resistance in shear (vertical tear out). With these allowable loads and availability in a galvanized coating the Wedge-All was the clear choice for track attachment. A detail of our stud attachment is shown below.

“The Place” Community Center is a Month From Opening

Dean Dalvit — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 08:00:40 +0000

I recently toured "The Place", a community center TI project that we designed last Winter. The sheetrock is hung and they have slated their grand opening for next month. While there is much to do, Owner, Brett Edwards, has indicated that people from near and far have lent a hand to see this vision through for the Evergreen community.

"The Place" Community Center Lobby Under Construction

With all of the rough framing, electrical and plumbing complete, and sheetrock hung, the finishes are going in steadily. The bathrooms are already complete and functioning, and now the office and conference spaces need to be painted and trimmed.

"The Place" Community Center Restroom Under Construction

It is evident that Brett does not feel that this will be the kind of community center that has to make compromises on quality. He has worked very hard to ensure that the finishes and craftsmanship are of high quality and that the facility will have state-of-the-art media technologies. The entire project will be at a level one would expect from any for-profit conference facility - except this center will be focused on the needs of the non-profits within the Evergreen community.

"The Place" Community Center Conference Room Under Construction

Note the sheetrock dust flying. The efforts to complete this project are agressive, and things are getting done. We are excited to have been a part of this project from the beginning as it will play an important role in our local community. To learn more about what "The Place" is all about, see this article in the Canyon Courier. Next door, is "The Cafe at The Place", which we also designed and is already open for business.

Incorporating Religious and Institutional Uses into Neighborhoods

John Olson — Sun, 09 May 2010 06:01:13 +0000

The Incorporation of Civic/Institutional Uses, such as places of worship, was a critical component of Yates Farms in Artesia, NM.

In all neighborhoods, it is important to include a variety, or mixture, of land use opportunities. Religious institutions provide many great opportunities for a neighborhood. The most obvious asset provided is the accessibility and convenience of getting to and from the use. A religious institution incorporated into the framework of a neighborhood provides the option of walking. This is an aspect to today's planning that is lacking across the country. When we separate uses by arterials, collectors, etc., the convenience and opportunity of walking is lost. In a recent interview on NPR, the Director of Transportation in Washington D.C., Gabe Klein, stated "when you make it hassle free and inexpensive for people to use a certain mode (of transportation), they will use it." With single-use, isolated "neighborhoods", the option is not there. A walk is considered exercise instead of a mode of getting from one place to another.

I took this picture in 2006 during the construction of a church in Bradburn, a TND north of Denver. The church provides a beautiful terminated vista along a north/south boulevard in Bradburn.

All religious institutions also include parking lots, which could be thought of as a liability. Properly planned religious institutions utilize the parking for uses outside of the peak time for the institution, or shared parking. For example, the prime time for a church is Sunday morning where multiple services may take place. This is not the prime time for a restaurant or retail establishment. However, the synergy created between these land uses becomes a major asset to each use. A patron of a church may find it very convenient to park once and walk to a restaurant after the service, or even prior to the service to a coffee shop.

Religious Institutions also typically provide unique and ornate architecture to a neighborhood. They create fantastic focal points in a community and in-turn can increase property values for the adjacent uses. New Urbanists often utilize terminated vistas in the planning of neighborhoods. In Colorado, the terminated vista is typically a peak of a mountain, but in some instances like at Bradburn, a church is one of the terminated vistas.

“The Place” Community Center getting Underway

Dean Dalvit — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:00:52 +0000

This story, Reprinted in its entirety from the Canyon Courier this week, is all about "The Place", a project we had the privilege to be involved with:

***

The Place to be: Former Carpet Exchange building to host businesses, coffee shop, nonprofits

By Deb Hurley Brobst

The Place is going to be about miracles.

That’s the description Dean Dalvit, owner of EV Studios, gave for the project going into the old Carpet Exchange building on Meadow Drive. Dalvit’s architectural firm designed the space for The Place.

There’s no easy way to describe The Place. It’s part community center, part business center, part training area, part coffee shop. It will be for nonprofits and small businesses, for teens to hang out, and for struggling families to get a hand up.

What is easy to describe is Evergreen resident Brett Edwards’ vision for The Place. He wants it to serve the community, to help small businesses and nonprofits, and to help area families in need.

Edwards, who has lived in Evergreen since 1994, has talked with many Evergreen groups about his plan for the space. His drive and enthusiasm have gotten others excited about the possibilities.

“We’re totally excited about Brett’s idea,” said Evergreen Christian Outreach executive director Kristi Sigal. “We’re in an economic climate where it’s going to take a village to support our neighbors. We’re grateful that Brett is taking on a project like this.”

Dalvit echoed Sigal’s sentiments. “We all feel that what Brett is doing is going to add tremendous value for the community.”

There are many spokes to the wheel that is called The Place:

• A coffee shop. The 1,000 square feet of space between the former Carpet Exchange and Gysin Insurance is being converted into a coffee shop. Edwards hopes the shop will be open daily, and it will have a doorway into the former Carpet Exchange building, so it is easily accessible by those using the remaining space.

In addition, he hopes that adults looking for jobs will be able to use the coffee shop as a place to network with others and have informal meetings with potential employers.

• Office space. Small businesses and nonprofits will be able to rent office space on the second floor that is being built into the main room, Edwards said. There will be a reception area and a secretary who will be shared among the businesses.

For example, the Mountain Area Pregnancy Center, a nonprofit that provides assistance for women with unwanted pregnancies or struggling families with small children, will have an office in The Place. The office will provide privacy for counseling, according to executive director Jill Sneed.

The pregnancy center moved into the shopping center on Dec. 1 and has its Mother’s Closet thrift store that provides clothing and items for infants to children age 5. Sneed says the move from a location on Buffalo Park Road should bring more visibility for the pregnancy center.

• Training center. Sneed says the open room on the first floor will allow the pregnancy center and other groups to offer training for parents who want to learn about job searches, parenting and other topics.

Edwards is excited about the training possibilities. He hopes that area groups can offer financial seminars and other classes to help others in the community. The large room also will work well for other classes, such as aerobics or art classes for those who can’t afford to pay for them.

Edwards also envisions the room as a meeting place for area nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity, Evergreen Christian Outreach and the Mountain Resource Center.

• Media center. The Place will be equipped with a media center, so seminars can be taped and replayed as needed. There will be recording equipment and computers that can be used by nonprofits to help others.

• Teen hangout. Edwards has offered the use of The Place to Higher Ground, the Christian-based teen center now located at Lutheran Church of the Cross on Meadow Drive. Higher Ground, which has been operating for 10 years, offers a coffeehouse atmosphere with bands on Friday and Saturday nights for teens only.

The coffee shop would be open for the teens, and the teens will be able to move between the coffee shop and the main room that will host bands.

Linda Juntunen, who coordinates the operation of Higher Ground, said she was 99 percent sure that Higher Ground would move.

“It’s the most ideal spot that we have prayed for for years,” Juntunen said.

However, there are logistics and financial issues. For example, she said the coffeehouse had raised money to buy and install LED lights, and the board of directors that oversees the program must figure out how to move them.

Higher Ground is an all-volunteer group that runs the coffee house. It gets its funding in part from the church but mostly from donations from Evergreen-area businesses.

She said if Higher Ground moves, it wouldn’t be until the fall at the earliest.

• Helping Evergreen families in need. Edwards is proud of the family-friendly bathrooms he is installing at the back of the building that have shower facilities. He has offered the use of those facilities to Evergreen Christian Outreach. According to Sigal, showering facilities will be great for area homeless families.

“We do have a homeless population that is here year-round,” Sigal said. “It still is a population that doesn’t have a voice, and it’s growing in to the lower-middle class and the middle-middle class. Homelessness here is kind of invisible.”

Edwards has also spoken with the Mountain Resource Center about offering services at The Place that aren’t being offered by EChO.

Edwards also wants to look into building codes to see if he could use part of The Place for a medical clinic for struggling families because he sees a need for that type of service in Evergreen.

“(Edwards has) the space and the vision to do over there (at The Place) things that will support what we’re doing over here (at EChO),” Sigal said. “He’ll be able to provide things we just can’t take on.”

***

64 Acre Master Planning Church Project Underway

Gene Dane — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:44:01 +0000

EV Studio has recently been hired by the Christian House of Prayer to provide master site planning services at their 64 acre site in Killeen, Texas. The site is currently home to "The Cathedral of Central Texas".

The Cathedral of Central Texas

The cathedral will continue to be the focus of the site and act as the cornerstone of the new campus. The objective of the master planning process will be to arrange the supporting buildings and additional facilities in a logical, complimentary fashion while paying close attention to topographical considerations. Our goal is to design a campus that will maximize the use of the site while having a minimal impact on the existing natural features.

The master plan for the campus will include identifying locations for a 10,000 square foot Lecture Hall, a 25,000 square foot Convention Center, 40,000 square feet of commercial facilities, a 24 unit Multi-Family facility, and a 5-6 acre cemetery with all necessary supporting infrastructure. New Urbanism planning strategies will greatly influence the design of this project.

The on-site storm water detention requirements for the entire development will be designed to be held in a single pond that will be surrounded with green space and walking trails. Water from the pond will be re-used for irrigation of adjacent prayer gardens. Other examples of sustainable site design will be incorporated into the development as opportunities present themselves during the design process.

Upon the final approval of the master site plan, EV Studio will immediately begin the design of the 10,000 square foot Lecture Hall. This facility will provide the much needed space for the very popular Bible Study courses offered by the Christian House of Prayer. This will be a state of the art building with amenities paralleling those of nearby colleges and universities.

The EV Studio Civil Engineering Department will work directly with our Planners and Architects to insure the best possible solutions to the numerous challenges that await us on this project. We will continue to share our experiences on this project through many future posts and articles.

Site Aerial View

Rectory Design for St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Denver

Sean O'Hara — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:01:50 +0000

We recently put together a rectory design for St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Denver. What makes the project unique is the design occupies 1/3 of the ground floor of a parking garage. The garage is only used for storage and has a nunnery on the second level. The apartment design includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms along with a common living area. The right hand side faces the street and we've held the front wall back to create a covered entry area. The entry to the church is through the parking garage so we've included a "back entry" that would be the most used.

Unfortunately, we learned on Friday that the Missionaries of Charity who occupy the nunnery above this unit have rules that would prohibit this being built in the parking garage. This came as a suprise to the parish and we'll need to look for new options for locating the rectory.