Welcome To Woodland

As more wall frames went up to further define the office area of the new building, the entrance foyer also began to take shape. The counter frame for what I'm guessing will be a welcome area for visitors is in place. It willl be visible as soon as one enters the building. From there, one can proceed into the sanctuary, to the church offices, or down one of the halls to the classroom areas.

Future rest rooms. Can you tell which side is for the ladies?

Siding completed on the right side of the building.

Frames for sanctuary side walls are complete.

The steel skeleton on the front of the building shines in the morning sunlight.

Continued Progress

Despite the ever-changing mountain weather, work on the new building continues to progress at what seems like a rapid pace. I only get to visit the building site once a week, and I'm usually amazed at how much work has been done since my last visit. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The roof on the left classroom wing was completed this week.

Wall sections were erected for the future church offices.

More walls for classrooms on the right side classroom wing. This view is looking toward the front of the building.

Looking across the back of the sanctuary with office area to the left of the photo.

Cover-up Revealed At New Building Site

That's right, part of that soon-to-be-a-landmark blue roof was put up this week. You can't hide something as distinctive as a blue roof for long. Soon the entire roof will be covered with that pretty blue sheet metal, making our new building a real eye-catcher on Crabtree Rd. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

By the way, we'll need more than one person to lock all those doors after services. Better get the sign-up sheet started early!

Looking out of the future main entrance to the building, showing the frame for the entrance way covering.

Also new this week are the metal studs for the interior classroom walls.

This view shows the front of the building with the wall studs and front window openings.

Filling In The Gaps

The steel frame is up, and now the construction crew is putting up walls. Metal wall studs are beginning to close in the sanctuary area, and the sheet metal on the left hall continues to grow. Wall studs appeared on the front of the building also. Despite the sometimes uncooperative mountain weather, our building continues to inch toward completion.

Insulated metal wall grows back to front on left side of building.

Metal studs for sanctuary walls.

Outside of metal wall on left side of building.

Work Continues Despite Winter Weather

We had typical western North Carolina January weather this week - a little bit of everything from milder temperatures to sleet and snow. Nevertheless, work continued as more ribs were added to the roof, and part of a wall was begun. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

A section of a metal wall with a door and two windows is up in the left rear corner of the building.

This photo shows one of the large sliding windows with tinted glass. Also visible is the fiberglass insulation, that along with the tinted glass, will help our new building be much more energy efficient.

Church Building Distinctives

The steel framework of our new building got an addition this week that will make it look distinctively like a church. The tower-like structure that will eventually support the steeple has been erected. Steeples probably originated as ornate toppings to bell towers that became popular on church buildings in the 600's. Bell towers, inspired by military watchtowers, were used to announce worship times and advertise the location of the church. Today, steeples serve somewhat the same purpose since most people just naturally identify a building with a steeple as a church building.

Another structure added this week is the frame for the covered entrance. That's where us good husbands and fathers can drop off our wife and children under a protective covering in wet weather so they can stay warm and dry. Then we'll drive out to that expansive new parking lot, park the car, and walk back to the building in the cold and rain. Hey, wait a minute! Whose idea was that?

Overdrive

This was how our building looked on this foggy Saturday morning after a very productive week of construction. The construction workers at the building site really kicked it into overdrive this week. In spite of some rainy days, look how much steel got put up compared to last Saturday's photos! (Click on photos to enlarge.)

This will one day be a hallway of classrooms filled with people studying God's Word.


You can almost visualize this future sanctuary full of people praising our God.

Back To Work

The Christmas and New Year's break is over, and it was back to work for Cooper Construction. Now that they're back working, you can see some progress every day as our new building continues to take shape. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

New sections of steel framing are being added daily.

Like a giant steel skeleton, the frame work of Woodland's new building is silhouetted against the winter sky.


The first steel for one of the side classroom wings went up this week.

Christmas Greetings

Something New Every Day!

It wasn't that long ago that I could go for weeks without having anything to photograph at the construction site for the new building. Now, we can see changes taking place daily. The slab is finished, and more steel went up Thursday and Friday in spite of the rainy weather.

This photo was made from about where the main entrance will one day be. You can see the sloping floor of the future sanctuary. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

First Wall

Surprisingly to me, the first wall was erected this week, even before the slab was finished. Workers were still pouring concrete at the front of the building when I made this photo of a section of the back wall on a foggy Thursday morning.

"May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels."
Psalm 122:7

Final Christmas On Old Clyde Road

I know we're all excited about the new building going up, but it's still a little sad that this will be the last Christmas we celebrate in this building. This year makes eight Christmases that my family has enjoyed children's programs, special choir presentations, and Christmas sermons in this building. Many of you have been celebrating Jesus' birth here a lot longer than that. There's a lot of good memories in this building. Pastor Alan asked me to make some photographs of the sanctuary while the Christmas decorations are up for the last time, so here's one to remember her by. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Some Assembly Required

"Some Assembly Required" - the words that every Dad dreads reading on Christmas Eve when it's time to play Santa Claus. Tools scattered all over the living room, assembly instructions written by someone for whom English is a second language, diagrams that don't match the parts you're holding in your hands - we've all been there. The construction workers at our building site are facing a similar scene as the pieces of our new building begin to pile up as work continues on the foundation. Hopefully, when our builders are finished, they won't face the dilemma many of us face when we're finished on Christmas Eve: left over parts.

All the freight companies are learning the new address of Woodland Baptist Church. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This pile of sheet metal will one day be Woodland's distinctive blue roof.

I hope these pieces are numbered better than the ones for the last bike I put together!

This doesn't look like a church building now, but it will soon!

Concrete Evidence

A good bit of concrete got poured for the back part of the building this past week. You can't see it because it's covered by tarps for protection while it dries and cures, but it's under there (I peeked).

This area of the building will one day be classrooms, with our fellowship hall and kitchen just beyond. No more standing up to eat - imagine that.

Many Parts

Plumb lines. Conduit. Re bar. Excavators. More holes. Drain pipes. Crushed stone. Footers. Stone blocks. Concrete forms. PVC pipe.

The outline of a building takes shape.

Learning Curve

This construction project is a learning experience for me. When we learned that the next step would be pouring the slab, I envisioned the workers setting up some wooden forms and pouring concrete. Simple, right? Not so. That foundation is a lot more complicated than I thought. There's a lot of things that have to go under that foundation before the concrete is poured, like all the plumbing and electrical conduit, and footers for the steel beams that will eventually support the building. Watching this foundation take shape has been fascinating to me. All those pipes and conduits, and all the footers have to be in exactly the right place before the concrete is poured. If they're off even just a little, it will cause major problems later in the building process. It has been interesting to see the precision that is called for in building this foundation. There's a lot more to it than just "pouring a slab"!

Something To Build On

Last week's holes in the ground are beginning to turn into the outline of a building. Parts of the plumbing and conduit for the electric service are being put into place before the slab is poured. Footers that will support the steel uprights are recognizable now. Even for someone like me who knows little about construction, it's starting to look like a building! (Click on photos to enlarge.)

A concrete form for a footer, showing the large supporting pad underneath. These will one day support the entire weight of the building.

A completed footer ready for a steel upright to be attached to it.

Looking like a piece of modern sculpture, part of the plumbing system is in place ready for the pouring of the slab.