Reach Church – Paola

Rejoiceful renovations for Reach Church – Paola.

Formally a social club and dance studio, Reach made its home in an existing downtown building.  This multi-story facility presented many challenges to ensure functional operation.  Overall, the largest issue was circulation, including egress.  With classrooms being located on the second floor, an elevator was a must. Existing staircases were in disrepair and in inconvenient locations.  Consequently, these were demolished and replaced with a new centralized stair that wraps the elevator.  Another key point is that the church resides in 2 separate buildings.  Due to existing floor height differences between buildings, ramps and stairs were designed for easy access.  Simultaneously, redundant exterior stairs were removed, some replaced with robust, metallic stair structure.

Concurrently, existing building structural analysis was important. Key openings were located not only for vertical circulation but also between buildings.  Besides circulation, a major element to consider was for the sanctuary.  The sanctuary required the space provided in both buildings.  A load bearing masonry wall was maintained near the sound booth.  Columns and a beam were exposed and painted. These basically add to the church’s industrial image.  The exterior masonry and awning received repair and paint to refresh appearance.

Reach Church – Paola has become a prominent fixture in the historic downtown.