Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary
Loder Hall and Lesemann Hall
Salas O’Brien provided full engineering design and consulting services for Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary’s Loder and Lesemann Halls in Evanston, Illinois.
Our client
Located on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary is deeply committed to serving and developing spiritual leaders who are bold theologians and scholars. With over 400 students from approximately forty different denominational groups enrolled each year, this graduate theological school puts a special emphasis on blending rigorous academic teaching with intentional spiritual formation in the 21st century world. Armed with accreditations from The Association of Theological Schools and The Higher Learning Commission, this seminary is well equipped to accomplish their mission.
Project highlights
Their challenge
Our client wanted to renovate two of Garrett Theological Seminary’s buildings on the Evanston campus. The four-story (plus basement) Loder residential Hall required 35,000-square-feet of renovated structural and engineering infrastructure systems. In addition, the three-story (plus basement) Lesemann Hall required approximately 8,600-square-feet of renovated office and study spaces and engineering infrastructure systems.
Our solution
Our team provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering design and consulting for these two buildings. Our design for Loder Hall included renovated residential space, a cafeteria, a catering kitchen and private dining, a bookstore, and a student center. The renovated basement now includes a student lounge, a classroom and offices, storage space, and mechanical support spaces. Our team’s design provided new HVAC systems, newly installed plumbing and electrical facilities, and a new elevator. Our design for Lesemann Hall included renovated offices and a study area. Our design also accommodated a green roof, a new elevator installed for access to the first and second floors, a new fire pump, sprinklers throughout the building, and all new HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems.
The results
Our team’s design work successfully transformed the two buildings’ engineering infrastructure systems up to current, safe standards. As a result, the seminary was recently awarded a LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for the Loder Hall renovation.


