Concordia Seminary Adaptive Re-Use
Clayton, Missouri

While some of the building uses will remain the same, creation of more guest rooms for visitors and conversions from classrooms to offices are planned.

Horner & Shifrin provided mechanical and electrical engineering services for Concordia Seminary to study the feasibility of adapting the former classroom and office building, the gym annex, a theater and classroom addition, a sports annex and the Brothers’ Residence for new uses, meeting today’s more stringent code and accessibility requirements for the former Christian Brothers College high school complex in Clayton, Missouri. H&S focused on the essential architectural and building systems modifications necessary to bring the buildings up to the new standards. The Conceptual Study and Site Evaluation recommends rest room renovations; new elevators and other accessibility modifications; improved heating and cooling systems (some where no cooling existed before); additional automatic fire sprinkler systems, and upgraded electrical service and distribution systems to support the renovated complex.

Seminary officials are in the process of developing a new Master Plan for this complex in service to the church and community. While some of the building uses will remain the same, creation of more guest rooms for visitors and conversions from classrooms to offices are planned. Hotel-type rooms for overnight guests are proposed for the Brothers’ Residence and the top floor of the high school classroom building. “These changes will alter the classification for some buildings from single-use to mixed occupancy, will require plumbing service changes and will necessitate improved fire separation between different occupancy types,” said Ed Kendall, Project Manager for Horner & Shifrin, “as well as additional fire suppression systems and improved means of egress from occupied floors.” Most bathrooms will require widened toilet stalls, adjustment of fixture heights, grab bars and new fixture handles in order to meet the needs of the handicapped. “In addition,” Kendall noted, “existing rest rooms must also be changed to meet male/ female parity requirements in the new building code, since this was originally an all-male facility.” To enable handicapped accessibility to every floor in each of the two- to five-story buildings, several elevators must also be added.

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