As a young boy, Nathan Funk ’03 won a lot of coloring contests. “I love to draw,” said Funk. “I love using my hands to create things.”
Years later as a student at Calvin, Funk was looking for a way to develop that talent. “I had people asking me, ‘How did God create you and how can you use that gift?’ It was always in my mind,” he said.
Meanwhile, Funk went on to pursue other areas of study. He started in engineering, but switched to business and English, with concentrations in finance and writing. “It built a nice foundation for what I do now,” said Funk, who works for Via Design, an architectural design firm in Grand Rapids, Mich. “You might be able to design something really great, but you also have to be able to meet budget and communicate well.”
Funk, who went on to earn a degree in architecture from the University of Illinois, recently completed a two-year renovation project downtown for the Acton Institute, a venture that meshed his skills and Calvin education well. Funk served as architectural project manager for the project, beginning with initial interviews of Acton’s staff in the pre-design “programming” phase, moving into demolition, design, construction and post-construction/move-in.
The building, built in the 1920s, had fallen into disrepair though it is in a prominent downtown location. The Acton Institute for the study of religion and liberty, considered one of the top 10 “think tanks” in the world, was looking for more space but also more visibility to enhance its growing global reputation.
The three-story, 38,000-square-foot building feature a unique blending of the old and the new, with old wood beams still supporting the structure, combined with new marble flooring, lighting and woodwork. The exterior of the largely brick building, with its intricate design of wreaths, was enhanced and refurbished but kept intact to underscore the scholarly work taking place inside.
Book storage was a major consideration for the space; thus the 15,000 volumes are housed in bookcases lining most of the walls. Other needs were a meeting venue, conference rooms, a radio broadcasting space and office space for scholars.
Among Funk’s personal contributions was the design of a small chapel in the former boiler room in the basement, complete with back-lit stained glass windows.
The project is one of many recently completed or currently under way as part of a revitalization of urban Grand Rapids.
“There are such great changes and improvements taking place downtown,” he said. “It takes a lot of people who believe in Grand Rapids to make this happen; it’s a contagious thing.”
The redemptive vision Funk had for the old building reflected principles he learned at Calvin, he said. It also exhibited characteristics of the Action Institute’s work.
“So many people see an architect as someone that drafts,” said Funk. “But architecture is so much more than that. It’s about being a good listener and understanding people. Without people a building is just bricks and beams. I’m always appreciative of things I learned in psychology,” said Funk, “I will always be indebted to Calvin for that.”
He is also grateful for the opportunity to advance the work of organizations like the Acton Institute. “It’s a privilege to get to be their advocate,” he said. “To see what they’ll be able to accomplish in their new space is a story that is just unfolding.”
Funk’s involvement in seeing that happen is gratifying: “A lot of what Calvin gave me is perspective,” he said. “I have a larger picture of who God is and how my little part can help advance His kingdom.”
