No matter how long the wish list is for your new church building, there still may be things you’re missing. The earlier you bring an experienced church architect onto the project, the more likely you are to realize what you’re missing and get those items worked into your budget. Of course, your architect will ensure that your building conforms to all local and state building codes, however, there may be other things that you should consider.
Regional Considerations
Many older churches, especially those in the north, have a narthex. They serve many purposes. Primarily they prevent the cold from getting into the sanctuary when doors open. As church architecture changed, the narthex grew in size and purpose and into the gathering or fellowship space many churches have today. However, including a set of double doors at your entry can still help with climate control.
Facilities that include a school may need a tornado or hurricane safe area. Even if you’re not required to include one, you may want this for your staff and parishioners if you are in a tornado prone area but aren’t required to have one.
Demographic Considerations
If your congregation is full of young couples, you may want a cry room. By including one-way glass that overlooks the sanctuary, mothers can still watch the service. Although many churches have a cry room, often it’s audio only which doesn’t provide the inclusion that seeing the service does. As an experienced church architect, we’ve also recommended that congregations with lots of teens design a multi-purpose space. This space could include basketball hoops and durable flooring. Also be sure to include aisles that allow for wheelchairs. And, if your congregation skews older, you may want spaces for walker storage that’s accessible but doesn’t block aisles.
Activity/Event Needs
Do you host a large VBS program each year? How will the new space you’re designing accommodate those needs? If your church wants to grow their small group programs, make sure you have space where small groups can gather with comfortable seating and privacy. Weddings are an additional source of income for most churches. If your large sanctuary doesn’t provide an intimate space for weddings, you may want to consider a space that can hold a few hundred people that doubles as a wedding venue.
Sandbar Architecture has the Experience in Church Architecture
As an experienced church architecture team, we have helped many building committees create spaces that suit their unique needs. We also have multiple checklists so that we can bring up some items that aren’t always on the building committee’s wish list but are needs for the new space. Call us today at (727) 308-1773 or click here to request your initial consultation.