REPEAT/Harris Consulting Engineers Helps Design a"Gem in the Desert".

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 16, 1998--"It's not going to be your traditional stained-glass church," noted Tom Harris, president of Harris Consulting Engineers (HCE), a professional mechanical and electrical engineering firm serving the Las Vegas area since 1983.

"It's a beautifully designed, unique -- and very large -- project."

The project -- Shadow Hills Baptist Church -- is actually a cluster of individual buildings that will be built in a campus design around a large central plaza. Ground-breaking is set to begin later this year for the first four buildings, which includes the 36,000 square-foot worship center, designed to accommodate up to 1,750 people; the 2,700 square-foot administration building; a 10,000 square-foot fellowship hall with classrooms and banquet facilities; and a 22,000 square-foot preschool day-care center that will include 20 classrooms.

HCE was responsible for the mechanical, plumbing and electrical design for all four buildings.

The project was designed by the architectural firm of Swisher and Hall, AIA, Limited. Design Project Manager, Shelly Lewison, said that, architecturally, it will have a strong presence in the neighborhood.

"The main building, the worship center, is like a gem in the desert. It's tall, very modern, very vertical, and organic in form. Because of its incredible seating capacity it has been lit and designed as a multi-use facility and can be made to visually appear smaller for intimate weddings and funerals."

Designed around the rather new approach that a church is really like a theater, the high-tech worship center will include huge projection screens for viewing and an elaborate sound system. It will also accommodate sophisticated sets for major events like Christmas shows and pageants.

Buildings that will come on-line at a later date include an adult classroom building, a youth classroom building, and a chapel that will handle small weddings and funerals. There is also a gymnasium proposed, but it will be the last building to come on-line because the classroom buildings are a priority.

Lewison praised HCE for its contributions on the project. "We do a lot of work with Harris, and they were great to work with on this project. They were very professional and met all our deadlines."