West Springs Church

The main element of this unique 20,150 square foot single-level church facility is an 80-foot by 80-foot high bay space, which was designed to act as the sanctuary but also provide a multi-purpose room for basketball and other indoor social events. Surrounding this main element are office and classroom spaces connected by a large commons area that provides a secondary gathering place outside the sanctuary and immediately inside the three entry doors.

The character of the building and the owner's budget dictated a resourceful use of basic materials featuring exposed and expressed mechanical, electrical and structural elements. The result is a playful yet dignified sequence of spaces and finishes that provide both spiritual vitality and functional order.

In conjunction with a variety of exterior accent features including three colors of glass, an intricate pattern of reveals and some unusual Tilt-Up forms, the building has a curved front façade, an extended wing wall at the secondary entry, and two taller panels with a cross carved out along the edge located at the most prominent corner of the building.

The team broke ground on Sept. 24, 1998 and finished the facility in May 1999.

The tallest panel is 32 feet high and the heaviest panel weights more than 48,000 lbs.

Meadow Burke and Conspec's Tilt EEZ products were utilized.

For more information, contact Christie Veljkovic of Clayco Construction Company, Inc. at (314) 429-5100.