Fairfield First Methodist Church’s “Good” Problem
Last summer, Fairfield First Methodist Church was confronted with the kind of “good” problem that rarely occurs between builders and their clients: Johnson & Pace, the firm designing the church's activities building, was ahead of schedule. “Basically, [Johnson & Pace] is just waiting on us to make some decisions before we go ahead with the process,” explains Wayne Flowers, the church's pastor. “Specifically,” Flowers says, “the church was hoping to expand its facilities to incorporate educational and recreational spaces under one roof. We needed education space and a safe place for kids to play because youth are very important to us.”
After researching several companies, the church chose Johnson & Pace to fulfill its vision. Doug Camp, the project architect with Johnson & Pace, began the project by tackling several design challenges. For one thing, the church had three different roof slopes and several grade elevation problems. Camp responded by creating a design that fused an innovative roofline with the church’s existing roof. To solve elevation problems, he planned to survey the site and design grading plans. “The new facilities,” Camp says, “showcase the scope of Johnson & Pace’s construction proficiency. First Methodist's activities building should be appealing to smaller churches because it's a functional, practical and artistic design that – when it's finished – will help the church family become closer.”
For Flowers, the project is exactly what the church had in mind when it hired the Longview-based architecture, engineering and surveying firm. “We had an idea of what we wanted, but we didn't know exactly what design would work best,” he says. “Johnson & Pace was able to give us some great ideas from the beginning.” Flowers says the reason behind the new activities building, however, is what drives the design process. “We have a strong commitment to youth and we wanted to provide them with a place to fellowship in a Christian atmosphere,” he says. “The design is excellent, and it fulfills all of our expectations. Johnson & Pace gave us exactly what we needed.”
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