More and more we see our church clients wanting lighting control to highlight areas of the worship space. It could be that they want to have a different set of lights to highlight the baptism, it could be that at times they want to light up of the choir area, or maybe they want to have a dim the lights and just have light shining on the pulpit. Traditionally this is done in one of two ways; ... Read More
It may look like a restaurant, but church kitchens have lots of special details that make them very different. With everything you need for a good church kitchen, these detals are easy to overlook. Use this link to download our overview of church kitchen design. Church Kitchen Tour Church kitchens really are unique. We recently conducted a tour with building committee members in the early stages ... Read More
Church Kitchens are different kinds of spaces. They accommodate food and cooking and baking and all the things associated with large gatherings or entertainment. Many people think they are just like a residential kitchen but larger. Some consultants treat them just like restaurants or catering businesses. Neither model is right. Church kitchens, like other places for ministry, work best when they ... Read More
Several clients have included a church family life center in their plans, but could raise only a portion of the building cost. One congregation decided to build just the steel structure until they could raise the money to add all the rest. This phased construction has given them a covered, all-weather hall as a phase-one multi-purpose space. The completed Hall will be connected to the new ... Read More
Here is the final part of the three part article on Church Multipurpose Rooms. Please see the link at the bottom to download the entire article as a PDF. 7. Stages and Platforms Whether it is a platform designed for your praise and worship team, a small recessed stage for youth plays (maybe even doubling as a classroom in a pinch), or a temporary platform to give a speaker a little height, ... Read More
This is Part 2 of a three part article. If you would like to down load the entire article, see the link below! 4. Flooring There are a number of different flooring types we have used in our multi-user spaces. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages depending on what they uses are. VCT/Vinyl/Linoleum These tend to be the least expensive and most flexible, although some of the more select ... Read More
This is the First part of a three part Article on Church Multi-User spaces. If you are interested in downloading the entire article, please see the link at the end. Cafetorium, Sanctatorium, Sanctunasium, Family Life Center, Hall… Multipurpose spaces of all types are very common elements in church design. And why not? They make great first phase buildings, they allow you to fundraise from ... Read More
When we work with our clients to design or modify a worship space, one of the most interesting issues that must be considered is the relationship between natural light and the audio/visual systems. Whether it is a historic sanctuary, a high-end praise and worship space, or a multi-use space (Sanctatorium is one of my favorite multi-use space words), more and more, we are seeing a desire to have a ... Read More
Part 3 – Appliances, Drains, and Space Planning Commercial Appliances When it comes to the equipment for the kitchen, once you get past the big code related issues of the vent hood and grease trap, most of the decisions really are based on how you use your kitchen and what your budget is. There are some stipulations on sinks, dishwashing, and refrigeration that a fully regulated commercial ... Read More
Part 2 – Vent Hoods and Grease Traps: What are they and do I need them? Vent Hoods There are three basic vent hood types. First is the typical vent hood you would have in a residence. These simple hoods can either vent back into the room or can vent outside. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to use, but don’t move a lot of air. Second are Type 2 hoods, also known as stem hoods, which vent ... Read More
