Not long ago, this non-denominational ministry began dreaming about and praying for a new campus hub.

As an independent, non-profit organization, which offers bible studies and thousands of meals to students each year, CSF is largely funded by private donations. Today’s 40,000-square-foot facility, which has quadrupled CSF’s capacity, stands as testament to the generosity of its donors and the proficiency of a design and construction team that helped turn CSF’s dreams into reality.

The Design Process

In 2021, Brian Marshall, CSF’s campus minister and director, reached out to Deco Architects, Inc. to share his dream of a new facility. Deco is a professional architectural firm headquartered in Somerset, Kentucky, offering comprehensive building design services.

David Zawko, who was at that time the design director of the firm, was tasked with the design portion of the project. Zawko brought on board independent architect Daryl Krumsieg, based in Spencerport, New York, to assist with the design. When Zawko left Deco in May of 2022, Krumsieg stayed, collaborating with Deco Architects throughout the subsequent construction process.

The property chosen for the new facility sits between two residential streets and next door to some older dormitories. According to Krumsieg, the initial challenge was how to maximize the amount of programming space available to students without overwhelming the site. He recalls, “The building goes back to the setback line of the property on all sides, to optimize the available space. But we needed to keep it from feeling imposing at the street level.”

The architect’s solution was to stack two spaces, with the basketball court on the lower level and the sanctuary on top, giving the structure a ground-level footprint that blends nicely into the surrounding neighborhood. The result is a new building that “engages students by marrying all of CSF’s diverse program requirements in a single facility,” Krumsieg reports.

He continues, “Brian [Marshall] was fully engaged in the entire design process. We would generate models, and he wanted to see the products before making decisions. There would be no surprises from an aesthetic standpoint.”

For the building envelope, the architect recommended horizontal-oriented panels to maintain continuity with the surrounding landscape. The cladding chosen for the exterior walls combined several metal products manufactured by IMETCO, a leading full-service manufacturer of high-performance metal roof, cladding, and deck systems, headquartered in Norcross, Georgia.

The cladding system combines IMETCO’s Tajo® terracotta, 17mm wall panels in a stone white finish with its FW Series 12-inch wide, .040-inch aluminum wall cladding, flush with a reveal and a half-inch gap between the horizontal laps. The FW panels feature a carbon-cast finish from the company’s Da Vinci Collection. IMETCO’s Latitude cladding with a woodgrain finish is used for the soffits.

For Marshall, the longevity of the materials used was a top priority. He opted to use IMETCO’s IntelliScreen™ integrated rainscreen system, which envelops the entire building and includes an air vapor barrier, three inches of insulation, and IMETCO’s vented hat channels. The weathertight solution is expected to deliver a high level of energy efficiency, sustainability, and most importantly, longevity.

“We implemented a full rainscreen assembly, wall barrier, and framing,” explain`s Jonnie Hasan, IMETCO’s director of engineering and sales support. “Air barrier inspections ensured the system met all IBC requirements. IMETCO included a full hydrothermal warranty for protection against air, moisture, vapor, mold, and mildew.”

Terracotta ceramic tiles create a focal point at the entryway to the building. The aesthetic effect was so pleasing, the architect extended terracotta panels into the interior walls at the building’s entrance. “Everyone is so happy with the terracotta panels,” Krumsieg reports. “They add textural response and warmth to the exterior.”

According to Krumsieg, Jessica Cull of Design Link Interiors, located in Lexington, Kentucky, assisted Marshall not only with product selections for the building’s interiors, but “walked through every aspect of color and material choices with Brian. She was his right-hand person, collaborating on design decisions, and making a major contribution to the project.”

The construction phase

Since the project got underway in 2021, there were some inevitable pandemic-related supply chain disruptions. Delivery and staging of materials was something of a challenge as well, given the tightness of space on the job site; the building sits between two residential streets and next door to some older dormitories. But the installer held onto materials, bringing them to the job site each day as needed to minimize the congestion.

Perhaps the biggest challenge during the construction change was the nature of the project’s funding. Many times when new aesthetic or functional capabilities were under consideration, construction schedules needed adjusting until funds were raised to meet the requirements. But through it all, the architect reports, “I never heard ‘We can’t.’ When timeline issues arose due to fundraising issues, we waited until the client was ready to continue.”

Brett Construction Co., a full-service, 35-year+ contracting company based in Lexington and specializing in design build construction, acted as general contractor for the project. Says Krumsieg, “I’ve never worked with a more collaborative contractor.” The construction team’s commitment to coordinating all the various disciplines to ensure a weathertight install was exceptional.

The metal systems installer for the project was Burnett Sons Roofing, Inc., also headquartered in Lexington. Burnett is an extension of an original family business founded by Chapman Burnett, Sr. The company is managed by his two sons, Chapman Burnett, Jr. and John Burnett, and a third partner, Jerry Hager.

“We were lucky in that several of the contractors on this job had worked together before on a clinic in Lexington,” says Chapman Burnett, Jr. Although IMETCO’s terracotta tiles were new to his installation team, he reports, “The ceramic was easier to install than we anticipated. Some of the corner detailing was a little sparse, but we all worked together to get the job done.” Burnett Roofing’s Eric Humphries oversaw the metal installation and Keith Bowles was superintendent on the job.

Looking back on the project, which was completed in May 2024, Burnett says he is delighted with the outcome. ”It’s a really beautiful building. To look at it you’d think it was an ACM (Aluminum Composite Material) panel. It looks great.” He considers this high praise, knowing that ACM panels would have been beyond CSF’s budget.

By all accounts, says Burnett, “Brett Construction was wonderful to work with. They were great…all and all, this was a pretty smooth project. Daryl too was good to work with. He listened and was very receptive to ideas. When an element of the initial plan was not going to work, he was always very reasonable.”

“Through every iteration of this project, every adjustment made the results better,” Krumsieg says. “The design and exploration effort only improved the building.”

He adds: “The subs, the owner, the whole team were so willing to collaborate because of the role CSF plays in its community, There are people on the team who went to the University of Kentucky, and who now have kids going there. This team appreciated the value CSF brings to the community, and that fostered a collegial spirit of cooperation from start to finish.”