Solomon Awards Name Leon Williams Contractors and Studio Four Design’s Foothills Church Project One of the Best of 2019

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Maryville contractor and Knoxville architect recognized by prestigious church design and construction awards for helping bring fast-growing East Tennessee congregation’s vision to fruition

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Oct. 24, 2019 – Maryville-based commercial construction firm Leon Williams Contractors and Knoxville architecture and design firm Studio Four Design have been recognized by the leading awards program for the church design, building and operations industry for their work on the fast-growing Foothills Church. Foothills Church earned a 2019 Solomon Award for Church Design – Gathering and Community spaces for the 32,000-square-foot open, contemporary design and construction of its new building in Maryville, which opened in 2018.

“The mission of Foothills Church is to develop mature disciples of Christ in relational environments, and as the design-build leader, it was our mission to provide a building to facilitate such an environment,” said Jimmy Hawkins, president of Leon Williams Contractors. “We worked extensively with Studio Four and Foothills Church to provide exactly what it was looking for and were active partners in bringing that vision to life. The natural light and open spaces provide a modern feel that’s comfortable for the congregation and welcoming for visitors.”

The Worship Facilities Network Solomon Awards recognize churches and their partners for excellence in building design, building expansion or remodeling, operational excellence, innovative use and technical production. Leon Williams Contractors completed the project with Knoxville-based Studio Four Design.

“Moving into a new building is exciting for any church, but it presents challenges, too,” said Stacy Cox, president of Studio Four Design. “The leadership at Foothills Church truly invested their hearts into this project, and their fearlessness and commitment allowed us to develop a design that really fits the community here.”

The new Foothills Church campus includes a 1,200-seat auditorium and numerous intentional ministry spaces that can accommodate both large and small gatherings and host its regular Sunday morning worship experience. Meanwhile, the open-concept atrium also allows partners and guests to enjoy a relaxed and intimate space specifically designed to develop relational environments.

A central feature of the new Foothills Church atrium is its elevated baptistery, located in the heart of the atrium, and visible to the public through its oversized glass windows. The intentional and thoughtful location allows friends and family to share the act of baptism while the congregation celebrates along within the auditorium via live video connection.

“It is truly remarkable to witness the way in which God has used this ministry through the expansion of Foothills Church to reach the people of Maryville, Blount County and Knoxville with the Gospel,” said lead pastor Trent Stewart. “We are grateful for the thoughtful work of Jimmy and the Leon Williams team. It’s a powerful reflection of our ongoing mission to develop mature disciples of Christ in relational environments.”

To learn more about Leon Williams Contractors or to view more of their work, visit https://lwcontractorstn.com/.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
865-977-1973

About Leon Williams Contractors

An experienced commercial design-build firm, Leon Williams Contractors simplifies the building process by effectively managing costs, adhering to deadlines and reducing complications to provide a seamless building experience. As a value-engineering expert, Leon Williams Contractors offers a complete range of services including pre-construction consultation, site assessment, design-build expertise and construction management in the greater Knoxville, Tenn. area.

For more information, visit www.lwcontractorstn.com or call (865) 982-1734.

About Foothills Church

Foothills Church exists to develop mature disciples of Christ in relational environments. The church was planted in 2009 by current lead pastor Trent Stewart, and his wife Micah. Today, Foothills Church is one of the fastest-growing churches in East Tennessee, hosting approximately 2,000 people weekly at its two Sunday morning worship experiences at its campus in Maryville, Tennessee. For more information or to plan a visit, visit www.FoothillsChurch.com

About Studio Four Design Inc.

Since 2002, Studio Four Design has served as a premier architectural and interior design firm to the Greater Knoxville Area. Their guiding principal is Design Matters, and their goal is to go beyond expectations to provide design solutions that positively impact their clients’ lives and organizations. Their team has worked on a variety of projects over the last decade that includes: churches, educational facilities, restaurants, retail buildings, athletic venues and much more. Studio Four Design takes pride in and is dedicated to all of the clients they serve. To find out more, call 865-523-5001 or visit http://studiofourdesign.com.

Design Build construction offers many benefits over the traditional method.

How Design-Build Construction Can Improve Any Project

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For today’s commercial developers, the choice between using design-build construction services or using traditional methods can make or break a project.

Historically, architects and designers have been siloed in the industry, designing projects for their clients but often having very little say or supervision in their construction. The task of turning drawings and plans into real spaces has fallen squarely to the contractor, who is responsible for the interpretation of the technical plans, changing, tweaking and modifying them as necessary to deliver a finished product.

While this method has its advantages it also carries a higher risk of mistakes and disagreements among the designer, contractor and client.

Advantages of Design-Build Construction

Luckily, there’s a better way forward. Design-build construction represents a premium model for commercial construction. By letting designers and contractors collaborate from the start, projects can often be finished on time and on budget, with fewer costlier delays and overruns.

Design-build construction uses coordination from the start of the process to make better, more informed decisions as the work progresses. This relationship between the designer and builder makes projects more efficient by minimizing paperwork, delays and the time it takes to fix problems with intermittent communication.

But what if your project doesn’t require a complex new building, but instead just involves redesigning an existing space? Here, too, design-build makes sense. By planning all parts of the project up front, even jobs as simple as a restaurant renovation can be improved. A focus on collaboration eliminates delays arising from slow back-and-forth communication between independent designers and contractors. If design changes are necessary, the entire project team can be updated immediately.

We Can Help

Overall, the largest benefit of a design-build process is efficiency, and that benefits every job, not just the big ones. As a design-build construction firm, we offer more efficient and effective construction processes, saving our clients from the added expense of delays and budget mistakes. If you’re interested in working with us on your next project, contact Leon Williams Contractors today.