Radiant Church

Matchhead Coffee

Kalamazoo, MI
Community
2021
Home
26,000 SF
Size
$2.8M
Cost
Teams across the Bodwé family collaborated with Radiant Church to design a new café for their urban campus located on the historic Kalamazoo Mall in downtown Kalamazoo.

The church purchased the multi-level tenant space with the sole intention of opening a café and making it a destination for everyone downtown to enjoy. It was important to church leaders that the café be free of religious branding to create a welcoming social setting for people of all faiths and backgrounds to enjoy. The space’s long, deep geometry was modulated through a plywood structural bay design which helped to create smaller zones. These zones were then adapted to frame the service and counter area, library-style shelving, merchandise display, and pieces from the local art community are available for purchase throughout.

Local art featured on south wall of café, facilitating community engagement with the space

The project was purposefully designed to create flexibility within the interior floorplan and customer seating zones of the café so that groups of all sizes feel welcome to use the space for their unique needs. A variety of furniture types translates to an open feeling of collaborative energy throughout the lively space. Additionally, outdoor seating is provided.

This dedication to the community extends beyond the café design, as the church uses the coffee shop’s proceeds to benefit various outreach programs, including a partnership with Communities in Schools to provide winter gear to students attending Kalamazoo Public Schools.

Community engagement extended into the design team itself, as a local custom cabinet maker was brought in develop the unique focal points in the interior architecture of the café. The collaboration resulted in the custom vertical elements as well as the modular, geometric ceiling design that creates intimacy and mitigates sound reflection.

At the rear of the café is a main center staircase, connecting the first floor to the second-floor worship space. In keeping the worship area separate from the public café, it was important to create a space for all to feel they belong without having to fit inside a preconceived member group. The café was designed to encourage an open flow of energy while providing a home for both solo travelers and groups in the welcoming, walkable downtown community.

Contact us

If you are interested in beginning a new project, you are a potential teaming partner, or you just want to chat about great architecture and engineering, please drop us a note.

Bodwé Professional Services

415 E. Prairie Ronde St.
Dowagiac, Michigan 49047
Toll-Free: 877-649-0492
269-585-2270

Seven Generations Architecture + Engineering

600 E. Michigan Ave.
Suite B
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
269-927-0144

3463 Magic Drive,
Suite T15
San Antonio, TX 78229

The Steelhead Engineering Company

259 E. Michigan Ave.
Suite 407
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
269-585-2255

WBK Engineering

116 W. Main St.
Suite 201
St. Charles, IL 60174
630-443-7755

68 E. Michigan Ave.
Battle Creek, MI 49017
269-224-3182

Blue Star Integrative Studio

320 S. Boston Ave.
Ste. 1710
Tulsa, OK 74103
918-359-5640

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