TheMinistryCafe

The selection of an architect is one of the most important decisions a church will make in the pursuit of a major expansion or renovation project. Every design and construction endeavor is filled with complex problems, unforeseen conditions, changes of direction, and potential conflict. The architect is the principal guide and official legal representative for the church through this tangled process. In the same way that doctors pursue specialties due to the enormous amount of knowledge and experience needed for their profession, architects work best within their scope of expertise as well. A family doctor may be able to diagnose a heart condition, but it would be better to seek the counsel of a cardiologist. When a church is looking to invest a large amount of capital that was raised through sacrificial giving on a project that will have a major impact on their ministry for many years to come, it would be wise to choose an architect that has experience in this process. There are three primary reasons that this is true.

Churches are unique. There is no other building type that combines all of the functions of a church. The design solution is usually a hybrid of a theatre, school, office building, coffee shop, bookstore, library, and community center. Most of these elements will be used at odd times in unforeseen ways, that requires maximum flexibility for multiple programs and ministries. An architect that may specialize in schools may be able to design an elementary classroom for 30 children, but a church will often need that same classroom to be able to accommodate teens or adults, with movable walls for larger or smaller gatherings, combined with unique security and storage requirements as well. This is also true of the worship center itself. It may have characteristics of a theatre, but it is a theatre that supports worship, weddings, funerals, concerts, as well as a potential theatrical production.

There are also special building code requirements for mixed-use buildings of this nature. An architect developing schematic designs must have an intuitive knowledge of these requirements so that the early designs that the church embraces will not need to be drastically altered to accommodate code requirements. The same is true of special design categories such as acoustics, projection, audio, video, theatrical lighting, kitchen design/ food preparation, gymnasium/ sports accommodations, just to name a few. A designer must have both an intuitive knowledge as well as a large and diverse pool of professionals to aid in the design. Only architects that specialize in church construction have both the knowledge and established relationships to accommodate this need.

The final and perhaps most important point under the category of the unique nature of a church facility is the need for the creative designer to understand how to craft spaces into places that support worship, fellowship, and edification. What is the experience of the first time participant as they enter, orient, absorb, and connect to the worship and fellowship experience?  Is the architect one that regularly attends church as well and understands the experience? Does the architect understand your unique style of worship and will he seek to recognize the unique personality of your church?

The second primary reason to choose an architect experienced in church design is relationship. This can be understood on multiple levels. Once the church understands that the architect is the primary guide through the entire design and construction process, it is easy to understand the importance of chemistry in the relationship of architect and church. The design will require the input of all ministry leaders, staff, critical lay persons, and committee members. Each will have unique personalities, with overlapping and sometimes competing programs and agendas. The architect will need to be a good listener, diplomat, and counselor. An architect that is not accustomed to working within this environment is likely to cause damage. For most churches, the building program is the largest capital undertaking in their history, and emotions run high. Competition between ministries is common in this time and the leadership of the church needs an understanding partner to help them through this process. This can be particularly true in the process that often takes place between master planning, which is the ultimate goal and vision, and phase one development, which is what the church can afford now. Dreams must be reduced, ministries must share space, and flexibility becomes critical. Creative design and effective communication is critical in this time, and it is good to have someone that has been through that process many times before.

The third and final reason to choose an experienced architect is expense. It is often said that the most expensive architect is always the least experienced one. Budget overruns, change orders, construction cost premiums, delays, and legal arbitration are often direct or indirect byproducts of an unqualified architect. The cost associated with any one of these will probably be much greater than the difference in design fees between a skilled and unskilled architect. Innovations in design, intuitive foresight of potential problems, and creative problem solving skills are the most important components of cost savings in construction. There is also one thing that is almost universal to all church building projects and that is tight budgets. The money comes from sacrificial giving, and there are many ministries that could use whatever money is not used in the building program, so the budgets will always be tight, by nature. Does the architect honor this fact? Do they know how to work creatively within the bounds of this budget, and still fulfill the programmatic needs of the church? Have they had experience doing this very thing on multiple projects? Only an architect that works consistently on church projects could answer that affirmatively.

In conclusion, one final thought in this article is the consideration of location. Many churches feel that they need to work with an architect that is close to their locale and the reasons often revolve around relationship with local officials, reimbursable expenses, or current church relationships. This is a topic large enough for its own article, but in brief, it should be argued that location can be a factor, but it should not be decisive, and it certainly should not trump experience. Relationships with local officials are more of a consideration in choosing a civil engineer and attorney for site approvals. Building codes are national standards, and a local relationship is rarely an asset. Reimbursable expenses are usually such a small portion of the overall fee that it ought not be a contributing factor, and modern technology has made web and video conferencing easy and cheap alternatives. Also given the divisive nature of design and construction, it is often not good to have someone from the church that could be entangled in damaged relations, or be seen as favoring one faction over another. The architects of our office typically will not work with our own churches as we wish to preserve them as the place we worship.