Salem Bible church, Salem, NH

Description

Salem Bible Church retained SFC to design site improvements addressing an increase in parish size, a need to increase the number of existing classrooms, and the need to construct a larger fellowship hall. The first step in the design process was the development of a master plan showing future improvements. The solution was found with a new sanctuary with seating for 216 people to increase in parish size, and the conversion of the existing sanctuary into classrooms.

The design of this site was unique in that SFC needed to design infrastructure systems that could be expanded instead of replaced when the Church constructed future buildings. It was also a challenging site because of the need to ensure all proposed and future improvements would meet the Town of Salem Land Use Regulations. SFC demonstrated to the Planning Board that parking was available within the immediate area of the site, reducing the number of parking spaces required. This was the first commercial site where the Planning Board allowed non-adjacent off-site parking to be used to satisfy the Town’s parking requirements, which reduced the cost of construction, and preserved green space within a rural setting.