Steps of Hope is an Education Center for children ages 3-14 located in the shadow of Volcán de Agua, Santa María de Jesús, Guatemala. The ministry's vision is to bring God’s Hope to the children of Guatemala by providing a place that supports them to live abundant lives filled with educational opportunity. The local community has the highest illiteracy rate in the department of Sacatepéquez; Steps of Hope uses their programs of tutoring, language learning, community outreach and more, to bring the hope of Christ through the gift of learning.
Project Scope
Steps of Hope have acquired land to build their own educational center, allowing them to move out of their present rented property and into a new building that will serve their ministry well into the future. Following a review last year of a preliminary design, the ministry have requested EMI to provide a new master plan for the site and concept design of the Education Center. A significant earthquake in July 2025 caused substantial damage to the local town and underlined the central importance of seismic resilient design.
Scope Summary:
1. Develop a revised site master plan, applying applicable recommendations from the July 2025 EMI Design Review
2. Revise conceptual architectural design for the new Educational Center
3. Revise conceptual structural design for the new Educational Center
4. Develop engineering recommendations for potable water, wastewater, stormwater, and electrical infrastructure to support the proposed master plan
5. Develop perimeter fence/wall proposal
6. Engagement with local design professionals and contractors to assess local standards and provide recommendations for a roadmap to project delivery
7. Sustainability Appraisal – holistic sustainability assessment including cost and energy efficiency planning and research into the availability of eligible green grants
8. Visualization Package – architectural renders and fly through video
Needs
Seismic Specialist
Sustainability Specialist
