Catholic Church

HMN Architects, in association with Castrop Design Group, was engaged by Good Shepherd Catholic Church and the Kansas City–St. Joseph Diocese to design a new church as part of the parish’s relocation. The first step was developing a master plan for the 32-acre site, accommodating space for a church, chapel, school, gym, day care, outdoor recreation areas, and a rectory.

Following completion of the master plan, HMN began design of the project’s first phase. The client sought a historically symbolic building that incorporated traditional ecclesiastical design elements. The resulting design features a 70-foot bell tower, a 500-seat worship space, a fellowship narthex, administrative offices, parish hall with a commercial kitchen, and school of classrooms. The worship space is designed for future expansion to 700 seats, including a future 70-seat adoration apse.

Project challenges included securing utilities economically—resolved through cost-sharing negotiations with the City of Smithville—and coordinating multiple construction systems such as concrete block, heavy timber, steel, and formed concrete. HMN also facilitated alignment between the parish and diocese to achieve a mutually agreed-upon solution.