CONSTRUCTION
Bethel Atlanta

Project Overview

Bethel Atlanta Church's new Retreat Barn is a 14,057 square foot custom worship and gathering facility located in Tyrone, Georgia—south of Atlanta in Fayette County. Essayon Construction Group served as the wood framing specialty subcontractor for Carlisle General Contractors on this ground-up institutional build, designed by Jefferson Browne Gresham Architects.

This wasn't a standard multifamily box. The Retreat Barn required exposed structural framing, custom timber-scale aesthetics, and tight coordination between structural requirements and architectural intent—the kind of work that separates a crew with real framing depth from one that just runs standard lumber packages.

Scope of Work

Essayon's scope on the Bethel Atlanta project included the complete structural wood framing package for the building envelope — walls, roof structure, and all framing elements required to meet the architect's vision for a custom rustic aesthetic within a fully engineered structural system.

Key execution responsibilities included:

• Full structural wall and roof framing across 14,057 square feet
• Coordination with the architect's custom design details to ensure structural framing aligned with the finished aesthetic
• QA/QC oversight throughout the framing process to protect the GC's schedule and downstream trade sequencing
• Field coordination with Carlisle General Contractors to maintain schedule integrity on a ground-up institutional build

What Made This Project Different

Institutional and worship facility construction demands a different level of craft than production framing. The Bethel Atlanta Retreat Barn called for structural framing that would remain visible as part of the finished design meaning tolerances, layout discipline, and attention to detail had to meet both structural code and architectural standards simultaneously.

Essayon's superintendent-led QA/QC process ensured that every framing element met spec before the next phase advanced. That approach of treating every project like a GC would, not just a framing crew, is what allowed Carlisle General Contractors to stay on schedule and avoid the rework cycles that custom institutional projects often generate.

About Essayon Construction Group

Essayon Construction Group is a certified minority wood framing specialty subcontractor and general contractor headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, serving the Atlanta metro and Southeast United States. As a certified MBE, SDVOSB, SBA 8(a), DBE, and AABE contractor, Essayon brings both performance credentials and diversity certification value to every GC partnership.

General contractors building institutional, commercial, or multifamily projects in the Atlanta metro and Southeast region can learn more at our Wood Framing Services page or contact our team directly here.