Faithful Service to Our Clients, Exceptional Design Solutions
Summer comes and goes so quickly. That’s why we want to take a moment to slow down and remember all of the great projects we have worked on during this very busy season. We’re excited to share the latest news about our religious, educational and commercial architecture.
Religious Architecture
In Fairfax, St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church is under construction. The project kicked off last year, when church members voted to expand their building. After careful design and planning, construction officially began in May. The church will add over 16,000 square feet of new space over the coming months, including a remodeled and enlarged sanctuary, a lower level chapel space, six new Sunday school classrooms, and additional parking.
Over in Ashburn, Heritage Baptist Church is also growing. They will add a new vestibule to their building by the end of this month. This inviting entryway will welcome congregants to Sunday services, youth ministry events and other meetings of prayer and faith.
As two construction projects break ground, three others are about to begin: First Baptist Church of Alexandria, Church of Pentecost in Lorton, and Apostolic Church International in Woodbridge.
First Baptist Church was built in 1954. The sanctuary of this historic brick building had never been renovated, so it was time for some major improvements. As so often is the case, First Baptist wasn’t sure where to start. We stepped in to assess what exactly the church needed to maintain their original façade on King Street, while accommodating a growing congregation. Our architects determined that the church needed more seating, a larger foyer, additional children’s education centers, and essential upgrades to their mechanical and electrical systems.
We have also been hard at work on designs to renovate and add to Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church. The church will have a new sanctuary with about 1,200 seats for their members to worship, and a welcoming foyer that connects to a comfortable coffee/fellowship area. Construction will begin next year for this ambitious project.
Educational Architecture
Our team also loves designing schools. This summer, it’s been our pleasure to work with the Purcellville Children’s Academy, the Nysmith School in Herndon and the Rivendell School in Arlington.
Purcellville Children’s Academy provides preschool and daycare services, with small class sizes to nurture a child’s individual development. The school hosted an official groundbreaking ceremony on August 19, complete with food, crafts and even a petting zoo for students and families to enjoy. Construction will begin on the academy’s new home later this month.
We’re designing a small addition for the Nysmith School, to provide additional science labs/classrooms. The private school creates hands-on learning environments for students in preschool through eighth grade.
Rivendell School in Arlington provides an excellent educational experience for their students, but their facility is an old Methodist church building they purchased years ago. Our design essentially replaces and updates all their facilities in an ambitious three-year phased construction plan, during which time the school will remain in operation.
Commercial Architecture
In Arlington, we are designing several renovations and improvements at the Potomac Towers apartment complex. The 11-story brick building overlooks DC’s skyline. Renovations will update Potomac Towers so it maintains its status as a convenient and comfortable place to live.
Staff Corner
As our projects roll along, our staff grows and changes with the seasons. We said goodbye to our summer interns Daniela Vargas and Sydney Sasser, and we wish them well in their studies. Our fall interns Jessica Lujan, Brian Morgen and Daniel Pham started earlier this month, and we look forward to working with them!
Earlier this summer, we welcomed Matthew Hawkins to our staff. He recently graduated from Kent State, our president’s alma mater! (You can read more about Kent State’s architecture school in our blog post.)
Our administrative assistant Charysse Stallings’ son Deontae Hargrove will be playing football this fall for the Frostburg Bobcats. We’re all proud of his accomplishments!
As our busy summer winds to a close, we look forward to more working on many more exciting, meaningful projects this fall.