hall and classroom space. “We had to plan for blockouts in the walls to allow for new openings for future walkways,” explains Kramer. “We even accommodated for future roof drains.” Gage Brothers fabricated all the precast concrete components for the project in about two weeks, and erection took another two weeks. “Cost is always a factor for a community job, and there’s always an end date when you want to open, but committees are slow,” Bunkers says. “Precast concrete construction gave us the ability to pick up speed and make up time in the schedule.” Churches typically don’t have a lot of extra money for maintenance, which also makes precast concrete an ideal building material. “And it makes a really good shelter for tornadoes, offering a safe space no matter what Mother Nature brings.” Top: An etched orange finish for the precast concrete along with polished bands of gray between the windows give the family activity center an aluminum framing appearance. The orange precast concrete also provides the architectural feature of a recessed cross at the new church entrance. Bottom: The precast concrete wall panels go all the way from the foundation to the roof. The largest wall panels are 40 ft tall with a width of 12 ft, weighing in at over 50,000 lb. Photos : Brian J. Rotert, Cipher Imaging. ASCENT, SUMMER 2025 29
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