Church design presents challenges and opportunities that both stretch the imagination and test an architect’s skills. The modern church is much more than a place of worship. It’s a place for community, for education, for entertainment, for public service – so church design must be flexible enough to accommodate all these and more.
A good design must marry the spiritual, aspirational aspects with the practical needs of a modern congregation, and do it in a cost-effective way that provides maximum flexibility.
So how do you approach planning and designing these special spaces?
What Does the Church Need?
As with every job, good church design starts with an assessment of current and future needs.
The architect and client should sit down and make a list of the things the space must do today and the things it might need to do in coming years.
The basics for every church include worship space and administrative offices, but many designs allow for other amenities like fellowship areas, kitchen and food storage, classrooms, day care, living facilities or even gyms. Some of these require special wiring, plumbing or permitting. Even if you don’t plan to provide these services now, consider asking your designer to include the option to add them in the future.
Entryway
The entryway to the worship space can be an area that prepares congregants to transition from daily life to a more contemplative mood. Consider including soothing design elements – colors, textures, artwork – that lead the mind to a calming place to allow everyday cares to drain away.
On the practical side, the entryway should be large enough to comfortably accommodate traffic flow, especially if it’s a likely gathering spot for congregants before or after services — such as during inclement weather.
Worship Space
The design of the worship space should be guided by the needs of the congregation that will be using it.
What kind of relationship does the pastoral staff have with the congregants during services? Does the church need a traditional altar or pulpit, or will a design that allows for more interaction with worshipers during services be a better fit?
If it’s the latter, a “thrust” or surround stage setup may work best, allowing the pastors or ministers to engage with congregants on three or four sides.
Will the space be used for other kinds of ministry? Will there be music? Weddings? Other performances? If so, the design should take into consideration any special accoustical or electrical needs, such as noise dampening or sound systems.
Are there special lighting needs? Again, some performances will require space and electric setups for lights. To allow for variability, dimmable, adjustable lighting is important.
When planning aisles and seating, take into account the needs of families and people with disabilities. Do you want space near the altar to allow children to gather? Should space at the back be reserved for families with small children or nursing parents who may need to come and go without disturbing other congregants?
If the worship space is large, consider including cross-aisles to make it easier for congregants to get to and from seating without having to circumnavigate the entire space. And make sure there is enough room in aisles and between seats to accommodate wheelchairs.
Outdoor Worship
More and more, church design is making space for outdoor worship, both formal and informal.
If your church has adequate grounds, a communal garden can be a way to foster fellowship and provide food for those in need. Seek the advice of a gardener or landscape architect when planning a garden – your architect may have good referrals for this.
If there is space, a thoughtfully designed nature walk with spots for quiet contemplation can provide much-needed sanctuary from our increasingly technological society.
If you are considering holding outdoor services, creating a level space for seating is crucial, as is providing pathways that allow seniors, those in wheelchairs, or others with limited mobility to safely move through the space. Shade – either natural, via trees, or via tenting or canopies – is also important.
Finally, if you’re planning to hold outdoor services, talk to neighbors or other local stakeholders about noise concerns, and make sure you understand local noise ordinances – you may be required to include some noise abatement measures in your design.
Green Church Design
As community leaders, churches have an obligation to set a good example of environmental stewardship. Piercy & Company’s proposal for Drayton Green Church in Ealing, London, is an excellent example of how green design concepts can serve to further and emphasize the mission of a church.
Fortunately, there are many ways to use sustainable design principles in church design at every size and to fit every budge.
Key in any modern design is the idea of creating energy-efficient spaces that reduce thermal exchange to keep cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Maximizing natural light also helps reduce heating and lighting costs.
While the word “church” typically conjures visions of soaring steeples and highly pitched roofs, a better idea may be to use a gentler pitch and use the large roof area to install solar panels or even a green roof.
Using sustainable materials in church design sends a message of living in harmony with nature and taking good care of the environment we live in.
Building Process
If your church’s mission includes helping your community, it will be important that the process of building or renovating your space takes that into consideration.
Using clean demolition practices can reduce a project’s negative impact on the environment. This can include using salvaged materials, working with a contractor who specializes in deconstruction rather than demolition, and making sure recyclable debris is donated rather than discarded.