River of Life Church

An expanded church campus was created by combining new construction and renovation. Starting with a budget-friendly, pre-engineered metal building, our team delivered a lobby, drop-off canopy, café, education spaces, new restrooms, and a 1,100-seat worship venue designed with a future conversion to a high school basketball court in mind.

Building on agricultural land introduced foundational challenges from the outset. Extensive ground stabilization was required for new building footings, parking lots, and access roads, and a septic wastewater management system was designed and installed to serve the facility. Pearce delivered level-one architectural finishes to the pre-engineered metal building, achieving an interior environment quality not typically associated with this structural system.

The connection between the existing steel frame building and the new pre-engineered structure required careful detailing of floor, wall, and roofline transitions, with special attention to proper expansion joints and material selections to accommodate seasonal movement. Clerestory windows were incorporated throughout the café and lobby to maximize natural daylighting. A large LED screen wall was installed on a permanent platform to serve both worship services and theatrical performances. The worship room ceiling was finished in an exposed black configuration, an acoustical and aesthetic choice that establishes a contemporary feel appropriate for the room’s intended future use as a gymnasium.