In 2014, Blalock and Partners was commissioned to design the new home for the Missio Dei Community church in Salt Lake City. Missio Dei purchased a building containing an auto shop with attached storage and office spaces, as well as a generous kitchen space. The existing building infrastructure paired well with the church’s programmatic needs. The existing storage and office areas offered ample room for the new church lounge, foyer, two classrooms, and a large restroom core. The auto repair shop – with its tall exposed rigid steel frame – provided a voluminous new assembly space for a congregation of 400 plus persons. The design team utilized tessellated raw plywood panels to accentuate the stage area and entries, and incorporated a large storefront window spanning wall to wall and floor to roof at the main entry to greet visitors. The overall design approach allowed Missio Dei to achieve all of their needs in a beautiful new space, all on a small budget.
