Healthy churches evolve as they grow, finding new ways to serve their community, prompting expansion and updates to their facilities every 10-15 years. There are several deliberate design steps that can be taken to respond to the dynamic requirements of a congregation, from evaluating existing facilities to carefully planning new additions. Childress & Cunningham Architects have worked with numerous churches to develop master plans with multiple phases of expansion over extended timeframes.
Evaluation of Existing Facility, Construction Budget, and Space
Master planning commences with a comprehensive evaluation of the existing facility. Childress & Cunningham leads strategic planning meetings with key ministry leaders to gain a thorough understanding of the congregation’s current and future needs. This involves engaging with the church community through surveys, interviews, and open discussions to gather insights into their spiritual, social, and practical requirements. Simultaneously, the construction budget and available space are scrutinized to determine the most effective response to the program goals of the church.
Master planning involves creating an overall site-specific design that represents a long term vision for the growth of the church and their ministries. An achievable short-term goal is often incorporated into this vision, keeping interest level high in expansion that may occur over many years. Phased construction ensures that the expansion process aligns seamlessly with the overarching vision – and budget – of the church. We have put together a guide to assist churches with decision making and analysis of church facilities.
Upgrading Existing Facilities
Existing facilities, even if aging gracefully, may need upgrades to meet evolving code standards and ensure public accessibility. Additions and renovations can do more than just provide enclosed space, such as improving Sunday traffic flow (both vehicular site access and crowd movement within the building), improving way finding (making it easier to locate programs, services, and amenities), and creating better accessibility for those with mobility challenges. Childress & Cunningham will address these issues to enhance the overall positive experience of churchgoers.
Whether accommodating a growing congregation or responding to shifts in demographics, the design should be flexible and forward-thinking. This might involve expanding seating capacity, constructing additional meeting spaces, incorporating family-friendly areas for a changing demographic, and integrating modern technology to enhance worship experiences. The goal is to not only address immediate needs but also anticipate and adapt to the evolving dynamics of the congregation, ensuring that the renovated space remains relevant and supportive over time.
At Epiphany UMC (above), we served as both architect and construction manager, allowing considerable cost savings for the overall project. After long-term planning for sustained church growth, the first phase of expansion was constructed, doubling the size of the original building with a classroom and preschool addition. Designed to blend with the existing building, the expansion also included a welcoming porte-cochere, a junior/senior high youth suite, fellowship hall and lofty octagonal lobby lit with clerestory windows.
This first addition opened up space in the existing building allowing for a second phase which expanded the narthex into a new Family Life Center, a hub used as the centerpiece for church social functions. The existing Sanctuary was also enlarged, adding more seating capacity and upgrading sound, lighting, and video systems with new video projection screens. Lastly, an administrative office expansion was added to accommodate the growing church.
New Additions: A Vision for Cohesion and Growth
New additions present exciting opportunities for coordinating existing church campuses. Without a guiding master plan, churches may accumulate structures over time in an ad-hoc manner. Responsible expansion involves integrating these structures into a cohesive design, fostering a sense of continuity and unity across the entire facility.
While new additions bring promise, they must be thought out carefully. Childress & Cunningham envisions not only the immediate impact but also the long-term potential for growth. Each addition should be developed as part of the cohesive master plan, so that future growth is accommodated.
When planning a church addition, we consider its broader impact on the facility. Evaluate the adequacy of parking spaces to accommodate a growing congregation and look for opportunities to improve traffic flow. Assess restroom facilities for potential expansion and compliance with accessibility standards. Review the need for new or modified fire sprinkler systems to meet safety regulations.
The designer must examine zoning requirements, including setbacks and landscaping, and integrate these considerations into the site plan, which will likely need to be submitted for zoning review as a conditional use. The conditional use permit process typically includes a public hearing, allowing community members to express opinions, with the decision-making body reviewing the application and public input before granting a permit that might include stipulated conditions beyond what is found in the zoning code.
Childress & Cunningham began working with Beautiful Savior Lutheran (above) over two decades ago. Initially a master plan was developed to guide the design of multiple facility additions and renovations to this church and school. This master plan has been executed in three phases, with an expanded parking lot and playground space to support expansion of the classroom wing and later new offices connected to a new covered main entry.
The first phase was to develop the parking lot layout, which was installed prior to an expected change to the Zoning code that could have limited the amount of parking spaces feasible on the existing lot. The classroom addition was realized about ten years later, and the porte cochere & office addition about six years after that.
As the first master plan was reaching its culmination, the church was presented with the opportunity to purchase an adjacent lot. In light of Zoning changes, they made the prudent decision to do so. A second master plan was developed to show future growth that utilizes the additional acreage. Childress & Cunningham helped with the process of combining the parcels. Since the facility operates as both a church and a private school, this master plan reorganizes the site to use the current main entry as the school entry, with a future porte cochere and lobby to serve the church’s new sanctuary.
At Hope Church (above), several practical challenges were met while bringing the master plan to fruition. Significant new additions created the need for fire walls to separate portions of the facility and minimize the impact of sprinkler requirements on the existing building. The sloping floor of the original Sanctuary was made level to serve as classroom and lobby space. All of the additions and renovations were scheduled in phases that allowed continuous functioning of the church and an early occupancy of the completed first phase.
The most prominent new construction at Hope Church moved the main assembly space to a new Sanctuary addition. This expansion includes state-of-the-art audio, video, and lighting systems to enhance the worship experience. This easily accessible space is built around a gently sloping seating bowl with excellent sightlines. Another addition is an outdoor shelter complete with furniture storage, fire pit and video projection wall to enhance outdoor activities for church programs.
The second phase of Hope’s expansion plans converted the former Sanctuary into a central Commons space that added an array of new functions to the church’s facility. The existing clear-span structure now acts as a social hub as well as an expanded lobby that serves the Gathering space. Activating the new Commons area are a service kitchen, coffee bar and welcome center, and surrounding this hub are five new classrooms, restrooms, storage, prayer room, meeting room and cry room.
The third phase consists of renovations to Hope Church’s existing classroom wing. This will provide updated facilities better suited to current church programs along with new restrooms. Construction on this final phase is scheduled to begin just as the Commons is being finished and new classrooms can be occupied.
Much like at Hope Church, the Sanctuary space at Hopeful Lutheran Church (above) was relocated into a new structure as part of the master plan. In this case though, the Sanctuary is in an interim location as the master plan envisions a larger dedicated addition in the future. The 350-seat Sanctuary occupies a space furnished with movable seating and featuring an open vaulted ceiling allowing the planned conversion later into a family life center or gymnasium. This worship space is at the same level as the current social hall to improve traffic flow and integration.
The expanding congregation also had an immediate need for classrooms for its preschool program in addition to the Sunday school program. The gently sloping site provided grade level access to a lower level with classrooms below the new Sanctuary connected to existing classroom space. To manage double-duty for Sunday school and Preschool program, each classroom was outfitted with direct access to restrooms and storage for supplies for both functions.
New program spaces, such as the Care Center Ministry at Northstar Church (above) can transform the role that a church plays in its neighborhood. New office and support spaces for the church’s Care Center outreach were added, by extending the youth programs to a new Youth Suite addition. The enlarged lobby welcomes visitors to both the Sanctuary and the Care Center, Childress & Cunningham developed a distinct entry with a custom fabricated awning for the Care Center as it operates throughout the week.
Conclusion: Nurturing Growth with Responsibility
Expansion for the needs of a congregation strikes a balance between preserving the past and embracing the future. Childress & Cunningham Architects, in collaboration with church leaders, play a pivotal role in guiding this journey. By evaluating existing facilities, upgrading spaces wisely, and strategically planning new additions, responsible expansion becomes a dynamic process that nurtures the growth of both the physical structure and the community it serves. As churches evolve, thoughtful planning ensures they remain vibrant and adaptable, ready to embrace the changing needs and aspirations of their congregations.
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