Master Planning and Renovations

First Church in Oberlin

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CLIENT GOALS

Wanting to maintain and make improvements to this 1842 City of Oberlin Historic Landmark, church leadership realized that a Master Plan was necessary. Because of the church being on the National Register of Historic Places, all renovations needed to be in accordance with the US National Parks Service guidelines. The development of an improvements priority list with associated cost estimates would allow for phasing construction in alignment with construction funding:

• Sustain and Elevate the role of the historic Meeting House of the First Church in Oberlin, UCC, built in 1842, for another 100 years.
• Accessibility
• Flexibility
• Interior improvements to the quality of space.
• Environmental/Sustainable initiatives
• Develop multiple options of near-term and long-term ideas along with associated conceptual budget estimates.

SOLUTIONS

• WMF is providing the First Church in Oberlin with a master plan which connects the church with the community.
• WMF completed an “Existing Facility Assessment” report, along with our engineering consulting team. This assisted our client in recognizing and prioritizing the needs and wants to develop a scope and phasing plan.
• In Phase one, the process included visioning sessions with the church’s architectural design task group and developing sub-committees (survey & promotion committee, program committee and finance committee) charged with specific tasks to kick-off the planning and conceptual process. This resulted in a “Master Plan Study” along with associated conceptual budgets.
• In Phase two, we worked together with church to furnish conceptual renderings and finishes to assist in the fundraising campaign and for supporting information for historic grants.
• Once budgets were determined we identified portions of the Master Plan which aligned with the Church’s values statement, worked within the historic grants’ parameters and focused on accessibility and the renovations within the Meeting House.

RESULTS

Currently in process.