R e n o vat i o n s a n d R e l at i o n s h i p s : Building for the Future ovenant Seminary’s Edwards Hall Community Center—originally built as a multipurpose classroom and later converted into a gathering space for students, faculty, and staff—has always been a central part of campus community life, but in the last few years has become increasingly inadequate for the needs of the growing student population. Thanks to funds raised by last year’s PCA Women in the Church Love Gift, along with other donations we continue to seek out, the Community Center expects to soon receive a makeover that will make it a more up-to-date, accessible facility that is also more inviting and conducive to the kinds of social interactions that are essential to healthy campus community life and to the development of future church leaders. Interim President and Vice President of Academics Dr. Mark Dalbey describes the project this way: “So much of what shapes us in life happens around the dinner table in our homes—sharing a meal, a conversation, the stories of our day. In like manner, we want to create a place for our campus that provides a shared space for those kinds of formative times, a place that encourages relationships and conversations between students, faculty, and others within our surrounding churches. These kinds of relationships help to shape our students as they enter into a lifetime of ministry.” The Seminary selected the award-winning St. Louis firm of Trivers and Associates, a company with many years’ experience in designing higher education community spaces, as the architects for the renovations. Based on interviews with a representative cross-section of the Seminary’s population and a survey of the entire student body, Trivers developed a summary vision statement for the new space: The Community Center needs to be an inviting, warm space that serves as a hub for campus life, encouraging fellowship and casual conversations, helping to foster deepening relationships between students, faculty, and staff, and supporting in concrete terms the Seminary’s ethos as a living, learning, worshiping community of grace. Several months of discussion and design resulted in specific goals for the renovated Center that include:
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• A larger dining space with a beamed ceiling, large windows that look out onto an exterior patio dining space, and a double-sided fireplace to add inviting warmth. • A more intimate booth seating area. • A community self-serve kitchen with seating around an open kitchen bar. • A new café/coffee shop near the larger dining area that will sell fresh, light fare. • More lounge and meeting space, with a reservable area for use by small study and discussion groups. • Access to the Seminary Bookstore from the main common area. • A recreation room on the lower level that would include facilities for table tennis and light fitness equipment. • Family-friendly restrooms. • An elevator for easier access to the lower level. In addition, many environmentally friendly and LEED concepts will be incorporated into the design, such as a light shelf to reflect light and reduce the use of overhead lighting, a highly efficient HVAC system that will reduce energy consumption, recycled materials in finishes and furnishings, permeable pavers for the patio, and a rain garden to catch runoff from the roof. The Seminary hopes to begin the renovations later this year, but additional funds are needed to start the process. If you would like to support the growth of future pastors by contributing to this project, please contact John Ranheim, senior director of development, at john.ranheim@covenantseminary.edu or 1.800.264.8064. DAVID BROWN David Brown (MATS ’98) is director of facilities for Covenant Seminary. He is privileged to oversee the phenomenal group of people who work to keep the Seminary’s buildings in good condition and ensure that the campus looks beautiful and glorifies God in all seasons.
www.covenantseminary.edu
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