Well, Aesthetics may be at the root of the issue here, but there’s more….

Here’s a shot of St. Ansgar’s Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. It captures a lot of what we do as architects that doesn’t meet the eye of the building occupant.

The bottom steel beam is new, supporting existing structure above. The upper steel beam (left) and the steel joist are existing (hence the need for the new steel beam!) The concrete block, corrugated decking, and electrical conduits are all existing. The black PVC pipe is new plumbing vent pipe for a new restroom and a new sewage ejector pump.

Our challenge is to bring together all the parts of the remodeling project into a cohesive whole. In this one location, we coordinated with mechanical and structural engineers and the general contractor to make sure we could cover the necessities and keep it all looking good and jiving with the Master Plan. The sewage ejector pump ties into city sewer, so we engaged a civil engineer for that connection.

This project is the first step in St. Ansgar’s Master Plan (of our design) and it consists of a new vestibule, an elevator, a new universal restroom and the required elevator equipment room. It might seem like a lot of consultants for a small job, but that’s what it takes to do a solid job of covering the design bases both for the immediate project and for the future phases of the Master Plan.

Construction is well underway at St. Ansgar’s Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. The goal is a new elevator and accessible restroom. Here you see the elevator shaft beginning to climb above the foundation. This is the first phase of the Master Plan we prepared for St. Ansgar’s. The project scope also includes connecting the church to city sewer and water.

The Master Plan was necessary to properly locate the elevator shaft relative to future additions and remodeling that are needed. Connection to sewer and water is in preparation for the future fire suppression system, commercial kitchen and additional restrooms.

The weather has been fine for construction, so good progress is being made for the mid-December completion goal.

We’ve added some images of our work for St. Ansgar’s Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls, MN to our portfolio, and we invite you to take a look.

The congregation came to us with an idea that they needed an elevator to provide proper hospitality to people of various mobility levels. Also, they acknowledged that their Gathering Space was too small and the building was difficult for visitors. Through discussion with leadership, staff, and members, we discovered the needs of the broader congregation.

The needs included a stronger presence to the highway; a more inviting entry way (including a canopy); a larger and more gracious Gathering Space; an elevator in an easy to find location; a larger Fellowship Hall on the main level with a new kitchen; and professional grade office space for better ministry.

We conducted an investigation into the existing building to determine what needs might exist that could be met through remodeling or addition, then reviewed our findings with the Building Committee. The design process followed, resulting in five initial floor plan options. Option 5 was selected as the most feasible and was developed into the final masterplan. Curtis Duden, a contractor from the congregation, formulated estimates of cost.

To broaden the discussion, we put the concept studies on our website for congregational members to peruse as they found time.

On 15 April 2007, the congregation voted unanimously to adopt the Master Plan and to begin a Capital Campaign toward realization of the plan.

We enjoyed working closely with the Building Committee through the discovery and design phases and wish them many blessings as they take the next step.

The masterplanning process used here can help your church or business find its way to a place that truly serves your mission. We welcome your call to discuss how.

Lately, we have been working with St. Ansgar’s Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.

Together, we looked at the current and future needs for the congregation relative to their existing facilities. Through a process of investigation, discussion, design sketches and thoughtful review, we arrived at a Master Plan.

On Sunday afternoon, we presented the final Master Plan drawings, documents, computer model images, and scale model to the congregation. Then, they voted unanimously to move into a Capital Campaign to raise funds to realize the $1.9 million Master Plan.

We find it very rewarding to work closely with our clients, so that the needs and goals they bring to the table are embodied in our work. A unanimous vote of approval is testament to that!

Stay tuned; our web site will soon bear images of the Master Plan and its accoutrements!