PEA Group worked with Thomas Roberts Architect, LLC to prepare site design and engineering plans to support a new chapel addition proposed for Loyola High School in Detroit, Michigan. The new 225 seat chapel, which is the first new Catholic worship space in the City of Detroit in over 60 years, was part of a broader plan that also included a new entry fronting Fenkell Avenue and a parking lot with a one-way, two-lane drop-off loop to support bus and vehicular student drop-off at the new entrance.
The new flexible chapel space was constructed at the rear of the building to support both religious and educational use. PEA Group redesigned the rear parking area to accommodate the chapel and provide additional parking and drop-off/ADA access. The chapel connects to the existing high school through the development of a reimagined courtyard plaza. Linear pavers clearly connect the school to the chapel, with landscape elements, seating, and a relocated sculpture incorporated into the courtyard.
The building additions, drop-offs, and new parking required the project to meet the City of Detroit’s stormwater requirements. Two separate underground detention facilities were designed and installed below the parking and drop-off areas.