Ferguson Community Center

In 2012, the City of Ferguson acquired St. Theresa of Calcutta Church and Grade School intending to transform the 1960s building into their new community center. The city chose JEMA to plan, program, and design the first dedicated community center in the city’s 120-year history.

JEMA met with focus groups and a community committee to determine a program that best met the city’s gathering and fitness needs. A key city goal was for the building to employ sustainable design practices. The resulting design is a family-based facility that meets the needs of every generation and provides a much-needed gathering and fitness destination for the entire community. It’s centered around a new two-story entry volume that serves as the building’s “town hall.”

For the Fitness Center, JEMA realized that the existing floor-to-ceiling height was inadequate. A new, high bay structure with floor-to-ceiling glazing was created to enhance the space. By renovating and transforming an existing structure, the design is inherently “green.” Sustainable design features include high-performance glazing, energy-efficient HVAC systems, the use of “sola-tubes” (high performance skylights), and native landscaping.