Edmond's First Baptist

Edmond's First Baptist Church in Edmond, OK, reached out to Paragon 360 in May of 2023 to discuss a video upgrade project. Over the next several months, the conversation turned into a larger discussion about a full sanctuary renovation. Paragon was brought back to the table to pitch their full-scale, turnkey, design-build service offering. The church loved Paragon’s single-source approach and the accountability that came with it. In September of 2023, Paragon was contracted to start design work on the $4M project.

The church was looking for more effective ways to use their platform. In addition, they desired a complete refresh and modernization of the 1,400-seat worship space that would include an LED wall background behind the Pastor. Paragon’s scope of work included new audio, video, and lighting (AVL) systems, rigging, extensive acoustical work, and custom fabricated architectural and scenic elements throughout the space. Paragon also led the design process on the project and acted as the general contractor through Paragon’s very own Xperience Construction.

Audio systems included loudspeakers from Fulcrum with Powersoft amplification and Yamaha consoles, onstage personal mixing systems from Allen & Heath and Paragon’s signature choir monitoring system featuring JBL speakers. The systems also included Shure wireless, racks, hardware, and floor pockets. Over 4,000 square feet of custom FabriTRAK acoustical work was designed and installed on upper and lower balconies, front face of balcony, back wall of seating areas and face of existing catwalks.

Video display systems included two 18’ X 10’ ReveLux LED walls, along with a 30’ X 10’ center stage ReveLux StoryGlass Stage-Starlight Series LED wall and multiple ReveLux confidence monitors. Video camera and production systems included routing by FOR-A, Panasonic cameras, and Fujinon lens, ReveLux displays for control room Multiview and more, integrated with existing owner-furnished equipment.

Lighting work on the project included new LED platform lighting in addition to architectural and LED house-lighting systems. Platform lighting included fixtures from Chauvet and Prolights controlled by a High End Systems Road Hog 4-21. The system included new power and data distribution from ETC and Ace Backstage. LED architectural lighting throughout the scenic elements featured Environmental Lights while over 100 fixtures from Meteor Lighting were used in the new LED house-lighting.

All of the AVL gear was setup, built, tested, and labeled in our prep shop in Springfield, MO, before being packed and loaded for jobsite installation saving countless days of installation labor. This greatly expedited the project timeline and ensured smooth install periods.

Paragon’s custom scenic, staging, and architectural elements featured LED illuminated faux stone and wood treatments on the upstage wall, illuminated columns on stage ends with (20) custom illuminated columns on the side walls of the space leading to the balcony, elegant baptistery treatments, an onstage LED support wall surround, choir side walls, custom illuminated cross, center riser steps and railings, and a custom pulpit with etched acrylic. All of these units were fabricated offsite at Paragon’s facilities during the time general construction work was going on and then transferred to the jobsite, greatly expediting the project delivery time and saving significant money.

Paragon provided all of the general contracting via its very own Xperience Construction (XP). The general construction work included demolition of existing pews, flooring, wall coverings, stage fronts in addition to modifications to the existing choir loft and removal of the existing acoustic island ceiling. XP’s scope of work also included framing, sheetrock, painting and finish work, new flooring, extensive low and high voltage electrical work, stage re-design, and sprinkler fire suppression systems. XP also removed the old baptistery, installed a new one, and did some refresh work in the foyer.

Paragon’s unique, one-of-a-kind, turnkey, design-build process saves clients significant money and greatly expedites the project delivery time. The process where architectural infill treatments are manufactured in a controlled environment and then transported to the jobsite as a modular component saves both time and money. Stuart Holland, the communications director at Edmond's First Baptist Church commented, “It was one company, and in my mind, we saved a ton of money, but we got way more than we paid for in value.”

When Paragon 360® integrates its extensive service offerings with its own general construction firm, Xperience Construction, the result is the delivery of award-winning spaces, quicker, easier, and with more value.