(SAVANNAH, Ga.) Bull Street Baptist Church held an open house and dedication ceremony marking the completion of the Beyond 2020 renovation project of the historic church. The 12-year, multi-phase master plan updated approximately 200,000 square feet in the three interconnecting buildings on the church’s urban campus.
Pictured Left to Right: Josh Brooks, owner and CEO of Brooks Construction Group; Brian Felder, principal owner of Felder & Associates; Calvin Fowler, senior pastor of Bull Street Baptist Church, along with his wife; and Gretchen Callejas, project architect at Felder & Associates.
Felder & Associates, a distinguished and award-winning architecture firm in Savannah led the project, along with Brooks Construction Group and Home with Hart Construction as partners.
“Our commitment is to faithfully steward our resources to the glory of God and the good of our congregation in a way that fulfills our mission and blesses our city,” said Pastor Calvin Fowler. “Our focus as a church is best summarized in our mission statement: ‘Equipping people to know Christ and to tell of His amazing grace!’ Every phase in this 12-year restoration project has kept this focus front and center.”
Renovations to the original wood-framed 1880s building known as The Porch, where the church holds its college ministry program, include exterior upgrades, modernized kitchen and bath facilities, gallery space, a two-story porch and an elevator. Highlights include raised ceilings on the second floor and the restoration of the original interior doors and hardwood floors to seamlessly pair the historic and the modern.
“The Church has been working to create outstanding spaces for our ministry. It is important to us that they not only be beautiful but welcoming and safe,” Pastor Fowler added.
Bull Street Baptist Church’s Beyond 2020 plan also included modifying the 9,600 square-foot educational wing. The three-story Bauhaus-inspired structure built in 1953, was given an exterior refresh that complements the original style, along with new windows. Other areas improved include a new lobby and security checkpoint for the expanded nursery space, a recording studio and a music library. The educational building had its classrooms, restrooms and lighting updated. The exterior of the campus now has new lighting, fencing, landscaping and signage.
“All along the way, we have considered the needs of our entire congregation to make sure we are serving every age group, from our babies to our seniors,” Pastor Fowler said about the project.
The lower level of the educational wing will serve as the home for the church’s new urban outreach ministry, The HOPE Initiative. Recording artist and gospel minister Harrold “Zion” Edwards is leading that endeavor. Volunteer ministries such as ESL (English as a Second Language), GroceryShare and family mentoring will also operate out of The HOPE Initiative space.
“It has been a professional honor to be a part of this project,” said Brian Felder, principal owner of Felder & Associates. “We take great pride in our work on religious buildings and this one has been a labor of love.”
“Pastor Fowler and the church’s building committee had the vision to make this space elegant and functional and to also fit right here in the heart of Savannah to serve the church’s mission. We couldn’t be more pleased that Pastor Fowler and his team are satisfied with the results,” added Gretchen Callejas, Felder & Associates project manager.
Historic preservation and religious architecture are two specialties Felder & Associates are known for, and both areas of expertise were called on in completing this project. “We are fortunate to be in Savannah and have the opportunity to contribute to our community. Projects like this are precisely why we are in this profession. With the success of this one, we look forward to similar projects,” said Callejas.
Pictured Left to Right: Calvin Fowler, senior pastor of Bull Street Baptist Church; Brian Felder, principal owner of Felder & Associates; and Josh Brooks, owner and CEO of Brooks Construction Group.
ABOUT FELDER & ASSOCIATES
Established in 2012, Felder & Associates specializes in historic preservation, commercial architecture, adaptive reuse architecture, corporate interior design, high-end residential design, green building and neo-traditional building. The firm has experienced a 10% yearly growth for the past three consecutive years, and holds memberships with the Historic Savannah Foundation, the American Institutes of Architects and the United States Green Building Council. Recognitions include historic preservation awards from the Historic Savannah Foundation, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s Excellence in Rehabilitation award, the Georgia Association of The American Institute of Architects Design Award in Renovation and a special judges’ award from Hospitality Design magazine. Felder & Associates is located at 2514 Abercorn Street, Suite 120, Savannah, GA 31401. For more information or to contact Felder & Associates, call 912-777-3979, or visit www.felderassociates.net