St. Paul Catholic Church

BTA provided St. Paul’s Parish with Site Plan Concept Alternatives for the ultimate build of its 8 acre campus on Hyde Park Road in Pensacola, FL. BTA used a “Voice of the Parish” process in establishing the basis for concept development. The process involved six focus groups (55 people total) representing specific stakeholder interests: Administration/Leadership, Family Life, Worship, Religious Education, Service, and School. The “values” of each of these interest groups were identified and ranked by the Parish through a written survey. A “design team” consisting of parish leadership developed a list of plan attributes that deliver the prioritized values.

BTA developed five master plan alternatives for the design team’s evaluation. The “Village Center” plan was the group’s concept of preference. The plan provides for a new Rectory, Church, Chapel, Multi-Purpose/Parish Hall facility, Bell Tower and School improvements including renovations and additions. The overall implementation of the master plan will require multiple phases.

To this date, the new Rectory and Church have been constructed and School improvements have been made. The Church, which spans 23,865 SF and seats 1,200, reflects a Gothic style rich in detailing with arched wood beam and decking, veneer brick over IF (insulated concrete form).

The design features approximately 100 year-old liturgical stained glass pieces acquired from Philadelphia, PA and Oakland, CA. Arched side aisles along the sides of the nave frame each stained glass window providing a shadow box effect as you progress through the facility. In addition to the stained glass there are many pieces of original artwork that had to be properly lit and placed liturgically and aesthetically within the architectural fabric of the facility.

School improvements were broken into two phases. Phase I includes 8,150 SF of additional classroom instructional space with a library and computer lab, as well as the renovation of approximately 5,100 SF of existing space. Phase II includes the renovation of 6,200 SF of existing church space into a large multifunctional space to be used as a gymnasium, cafeteria, and auditorium with adjacent classroom and storage area.