- Jason Bryant
- Oct 7
- 4 min read
How PMG Delivered Ambleside's New School 4 Weeks Early
While sermons can be virtual, nothing can replace the physical sense of community when attending church with family and friends. But churches are on the decline. The former president of LifeWay Christian Resources predicts that 15,000 churches will shutter in 2025 alone. What will happen to all these empty church buildings that were once such an integral part of life for so many Americans?
Ambleside Finds Its One-Hundred-Year Home
What do you do with an old vacant church? How about giving it a new life and transforming it into a school? But that takes community commitment, imagination, resources, and fortitude. For Ambleside Colorado, it took all of the above to acquire and transform a church into their 100-year home in Lone Tree, Colorado.
The new Ambleside Colorado school was the fulfillment of a continuing vision to provide a living education for students in the Denver Metro area.
Transforming A Church is A Monumental Task
Adaptive Reuse Challenges. The distinctive architecture of churches often makes them attractive candidates for adaptive reuse. However, repurposing them into modern-day educational facilities can be especially challenging. When Ambleside acquired Cornerstone Church, it knew that the three-decade-old building would require extensive renovation. Everything from zoning, permits, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, structure, layout reconfiguration, and other issues was part of the challenge.
Project Objectives. The principal objectives of the project were to create a learning environment that reflected the principles of Ambleside, provide facilities for students and staff to learn, study, and work, and to be budget-conscious and prudent with the school’s resources.
Project Scope. The 51,000SF project to repurpose the church into a school took 4 months at a cost of $2.3 million. A redesign of the floor layout was required to accommodate the specific needs of a learning environment. Upgrades were made to mechanical/electrical, lighting, finishes, and furnishings. To keep within budget, the existing sanctuary was incorporated into the design to provide for events and larger group gatherings.
Partnering With PMG Was the Perfect Cultural Fit
To undertake such an important project, Ambleside looked to partners that not only had the right experience and expertise but also were a good cultural fit. PMG was chosen as the general contractor, which not only had the right skills and knowledge but also had a vested interest in the project's success. PMG’s Founder and CEO, Jason Bryant, wanted to ensure his daughters could start school in the new building after the Christmas break. For Jason, this was personal.
For PMG, it was a commitment that the architect's vision would be fully executed and that all of the school's expectations could be met. Being resourceful, persevering, and versatile would be essential to the project's success.
"PMG ‘s team was responsive, very adaptable, and understood our needs, particularly on schedule and budget. We’re thankful that we selected PMG.” —Matthew Perkins, Principal
PMG Leads the Way in Transforming a Church Into a School
Transforming the former Cornerstone church into a modern-use school for Ambleside, Colorado, required vision, resources, and hard work. However, the architecture of the church provided extraordinary opportunities for creating a special learning environment to motivate and inspire the students and staff.
The church's large windows, high ceilings, and open spaces created classrooms that fostered an atmosphere of curiosity and discovery. PMG was careful to preserve and protect the architectural features that would create a special learning environment.
Bringing the natural Colorado environment into the classroom was the ideal complement to a “Living Education” experience. It was PMG’s attention to detail that ensured the integrity of the architect’s design intent to reinforce classroom instruction.
Creating a learning environment is more than just classrooms and desks. The repurposing of the former church’s interiors provided for different kinds of learning and socialization experiences. PMG’s job was not just to make sure everything looked great, but to ensure everything would work as intended.
Maintenance is always an issue with any school. For Ambleside, materials were carefully chosen and construction details scrutinized that would be cost-sensitive and stand the test of time. PMG paid particular attention to the installation of work that would be maintenance-conscious.
PMG Shows Their True Grit
The Ambleside project had a tight budget and a challenging timeline. The success of the project depended on PMG’s expertise and diligence to meet Ambleside’s goal to open the school after Christmas break. For PMG, it wasn’t the challenges but the solutions that mattered in the end.
Saving Ambleside $30K Finding cost-saving opportunities is always an priority. Offering an alternative VE Lighting package was one of the many ways that PMG kept the budget in check. Reusing several existing interior doors and frames also allowed for additional savings.
Preventing Cost Overruns By effectively orchestrating subcontractor efforts, PMG optimized the efficiency of multiple crews working concurrently on different levels. This proactive coordination successfully controlled labor costs by eliminating the need for overtime and weekend work.
Delivering 4 Weeks Ahead of Schedule PMG expedited the 20-week schedule for substantial completion in 16 weeks by overcoming delays in the building department's regulatory procedures due to zoning changes.
Expediting Lead Times PMG adjusted its work and supplier ordering to accommodate longer lead times from out-of-state vendors, ensuring the project stayed on schedule. For example, security hardware and fire inspections were coordinated with the delivery of entry doors that were delayed to the last week.
Being Local Matters PMG’s familiarity in navigating local regulatory requirements was invaluable. A relationship with the building department allowed for the building permit to be submitted while the rezoning approvals were being reviewed.
Overcoming Building Deficiencies PMG worked delivering the new design while simultaneously addressing building deficiencies that were discovered during the due diligence phase. Code compliance, structural defects, and moisture issues were remedied and completed on time in conjunction with the project schedule.
The Ambleside School is Open
Ambleside Colorado School officially opened its Doors on January 14, 2025, thanks to all of the hard work by the school staff, parents, supporters, and partners who made it all come together.
Discover how we can help you can meet the unique challenges of an adaptive reuse project.
Just give us a call (720)-583-5585 or email us at info@pmgconstruction.com