Ada Christian School - Ada, Michigan
By: Jennifer Walker - Journey

For more than 50 years, Ada Christian School had provided quality Christian education to students in the Ada, Michigan, community. Its success naturally led to continued growth of the student body and, thus, the necessary expansions of the school building over the years.

As the school neared the turn of the century, administrators called on architect Dennis Bekken, then with DesignWorks A/E (which later merged to become C2AE) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to draw up plans to add more space to the existing building.

Bekken joined school parents and staff members on a study of the current building, which housed 500 students in pre-K through eighth-grade, and he noted some steep challenges.

The property left little space for vertical expansion. The building itself housed several windowless classrooms and no gathering space. More administrative offices were needed, and the physical education facilities needed upgrading.

Additionally, there wasn't any planned interaction among the different grade levels. Pre-K children were in the same areas as middle school students. With different class schedules, this led to disruptions during class and crowding in the hallways.

After several months, and much effort to renovate the old building, the decision was made to relocate.

"I could have designed the current building to give them what they needed," Bekken said, "but it would not have solved a lot of the problems they already were facing."

A site was sought and designs were drawn to meet the school's varied needs.

"It was an all-inclusive process of community members and staff," Bekken said.

The school wanted the design to include separate areas within the building for the lower elementary, upper elementary, and middle school grades, while also offering a common area for some planned interaction among the children. This was important, Bekken noted, to foster the school's mentoring initiative among older and younger students.

The resulting design included room for 600 students to accommodate continued growth. The building contained a two-stadium gymnasium with a portable stage; a large gathering area to serve as a lunchroom, activity area and chapel; a media center and library with state-of-the-art computer lab; and a special education resource section.

Four wings branched out from the main building, with one each assigned to lower elementary, upper elementary, and middle school classrooms. The fourth wing was designed to house music rooms. The design also brought in natural light that warmed the structure.

Another challenge was presented when the school lost the site where it had planned to build, Bekken said. School officials loved the design, so it had to be altered slightly to conform to a new site.

"I've done a lot of Christian schools, but this was by far the most expensive one," Bekken said.

Because the school was able to find the resources and raise the money to pay for the new construction, the students now reap the reward of a beautiful building that meets all of the school's needs.

It took about two years and $9.5 million to complete the project, but the result was worth it. The school's design recently was awarded the Project of Distinction at the School Building Association's Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture.

Most importantly, the staff, parents and students are thrilled with the finished product. And Bekken, too, is proud of the outcome.

C2AE is a team of architects, engineers and planners with offices in Grand Rapids, Gaylord, and Lansing, Michigan, www.ccdwae.com.

Fast Facts

School: Ada Christian School

Location: Ada, Michigan

Student Body: 600

Grades Served: Pre-K through Eighth

Project Goal: Accommodate continued growth and incorporate planned interaction among the children to foster the school's mentoring initiative among older and younger students

Size: 84,000 square feet

Cost: $9.5 million

Challenge: Expanding and renovating existing building

Solution: Build a new building and start from scratch