Image: Sassafras Studios
People find a true connection in common spaces where they feel free to communicate. These spaces serve as charitable, cultural and even political groups and have a powerful role to play in their communities.
As the importance of the church grows, church gathering spaces offer deeper meaning for congregants hungry for interaction.
In other words, the church culture has become more personal. More emotional.
The common space is the type of place where we “collide” with strangers, can have deep conversations with friends, or simply watch people connect from the edges.
As fewer Americans “check the boxes” when asked about their faith, creative nontraditional spiritual spaces are becoming essential. These houses of worships are rebranding and hiring architects and designers to create new common spaces that appeal to the faithful.
1. Promoting interaction … even more. It is critical to incorporate gathering space into your overall design, says Derek DeGroot, AIA, director of design and integrated services for Aspen Group in Chicago. "People attend church for two reasons – to connect to God and to connect with others. The common space is the type of place where we “collide” with strangers, can have deep conversations with friends, or simply watch people connect from the edges. Designing a place to connect with others results in a real, authentic community. Space facilitates these interactions, which is why we see more of our church clients prioritizing investments in common places.”
2. Multifunctional spaces. Kyle Grove of Church Interiors is seeing a dramatic growth in multifunctional common spaces such as lobbies, public seating and cafes, “We are adding and expanding foyers into larger gathering spaces,” he says. “Churches use them for classes and large meeting spaces, in addition to their normal duties for receiving the congregation before and after worship.”
Image: Sassafras Studios
3. Getting personal. Ginormous welcome desks have also become a thing of the past, notes Dave Milam, vice president of strategic design at Visioneering Studios. “Instead, leaders are leveraging that square footage to create space for seating areas and empowering their ‘first impressions team’ to do the work of guiding the guest," he says. "Instead of a massive desk, welcome areas are now designated with furniture and signage and are intended to be less transactional and more relationship-driven.”
Ginormous welcome desks have also become a thing of the past, notes Dave Milam, vice president of strategic design at Visioneering Studios.
4. Work activities are the new relaxation. Church attendees are hanging out in foyers, says Randy Seitz, AIA and president of Blue Ridge Architects. Taking advantage of using technology such as WiFi entices them to spend more time in these spaces. “Foyers feature tables for work and meetings and plenty of outlets. Space-consuming and over-stuffed chairs are replaced by collaborative, office-type furnishings. In the main worship space, churches have gone so far as proposing to replace traditional sanctuary pews with furniture that accommodates seminars and training.”
“Foyers feature tables for work and meetings and plenty of outlets." Randy Seitz, AIA, President, Blue Ridge Architects
5. Week-long worship. Lisa Masteller, president of interior design company Sassafras Studios, sees the church widen its net from Sunday and beyond by providing more intentional and creative components such as lobbies, public seating areas and cafes. She notes that with the changing functions of common spaces, furnishings, technology and interaction also change. When a church leader comes to her for design, they are in need of a connection and are looking for a space to provide that connection. “The use of lobbies, parking paths and furniture options with that comprise the gathering space. All offer a place where people can sit, talk, and have a cup of coffee."
Image: Sassafras Studios
6. Clean style. Masteller notes that she is seeing a broader acceptance of style integrations that follow more clean lines. Wood applications play a big part, with a cleaner and more modern take in layout, trim and color. Lighter tones and complementary contrasting colors provide a background for logo and wayfinding installs; there is bolder and more creative use of task and accent lighting; and trade-built furniture that is durable.
“The DIY grunge palette of reclaimed wood and exposed Edison bulbs dangling from the ceiling have seen their last days," says Milam. He notes that clean and sophisticated looks are trending in 2019. Warm grays with clean, bright pops of color are in, and natural, muddy-looking harvest color palette of beige, tan and olive are out. Painted shiplap has already hit a cultural high and is trending toward a certain demise, as well.
Image: Sassafras Studios
"Customized rooms are more and more popular, such as an outfitted Prayer Room and spaces for counseling sessions catering to small group settings.” Lisa Masteller, President Sassafras Studios
Masteller adds that more customized spaces are catering to all demographics. “Coffee stations are as pleasing as the café down the street,” she says. “Benches offer an easy way to work in seating through the architectural nuances of the space. Transitional pieces with casters gives optional reformat for a room with a host of events. Customized rooms are more and more popular, such as an outfitted Prayer Room and spaces for counseling sessions catering to small group settings.”
7. Open spaces. Churches' no. 1 goal for the interior of their gathering spaces is to be inviting, since this is the first place people encounter, says Stacy Cox, AIA, partner of Studio Four Design. “The gathering spaces we are seeing are café spaces, next step areas, and multi--purpose spaces," Cox notes. “We are seeing less furniture and more large open lobbies allowing for flexibility, whether you are transitioning from one service to another."
In these unencumbered space in student ministry, churches are interested in providing more comfortable seating where students can commune together, as well, Cox shares.
"[Flooring shows up as] a mixture of polished or stained concrete to luxury vinyl plank (LVP)," Cox adds. The walls usually include warm tones and occasionally wood panels to create a cozy space. "We also see a trend in using bright paint and signage to define spaces in the lobby and give direction," he adds.
8. Data is driving more and more. We have more information about how people shape their lives than we ever have before, reports DeGroot. If churches don’t decide how to interpret data and what it means to them, culture will tell them instead. Attendance numbers, percentage variations in giving per household, and local demographic information can be valuable tools that change our spaces and influence the effectiveness of our discipleship.
Attendance numbers, percentage variations in giving per household, and local demographic information can be valuable tools that change our spaces and influence the effectiveness of our discipleship.
"Twenty years ago, people needed a surface to bear down on in order to fill out card stock information cards and register for events," says Milam. "But today, everything is communicated either digitally or relationally."
9. Evolution of kids' spaces. “There is a default design style for most ministry leaders when they dream about theming the kids' environment,” says Milam. “Most leaders lean toward a more literal style of theming because it’s often the easiest to imagine. Some of the traditional go-to favorites include: Kid's City, Ranger Town, Central Park, Factory World & Noah's Ark."
"... we're seeing a move to more sophisticated children's design. More like you'd find in a children's museum, kids' clothing store or libraries designed for kids. It is colorful, tasteful, interactive and timeless." Dave Milam, Vice President of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios
Milam adds that most churches who have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a heavily themed environment often tire of the vibe after about four years. "Instead, we're seeing a move to more sophisticated children's design. More like you'd find in a children's museum, kids' clothing store or libraries designed for kids. It is colorful, tasteful, interactive and timeless."
Image: Sassafras Studios
Grove concurs. “Youth areas are being transformed into a more adult-looking environment with a small café and library feel,” he says. “One of our projects was installing luxury vinyl tile and flooring products that are easier to clean than carpet, and using rugs to add comfort."
10. Incarnational design. In the 1990s and the new millennium, the "come and see" model of ministry was the church’s evangelistic norm, Milam says--where weekend services looked more a concert than a community. “And even though the small group model was beginning to trend, the heartbeat of evangelism was an effort to convince unbelievers to come to the church. At that time, architectural evangelism took on a whole new language. Steeples and pews were replaced by hazers and theater seating. And an all-out effort was made to transform the church into Disney.
“Yet in the past several years, we have the needle move in a different direction. The attractional theme park model of ministry is dead. Churches long to transform, not entertain,” Milam notes.
“The attractional theme park model of ministry is dead. Churches long to transform, not entertain.” Dave Milam, Vice President of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios
The theological principle of “the incarnation” is the belief that God became man and came to live among us. These days, churches look more incarnational and long to leverage the church’s resources to serve the community. That means, the church’s acres are no longer reserved for sanctuaries and steeples but will be used to serve and save the community.
Image: Sassafras Studios
... the church’s acres are no longer reserved for sanctuaries and steeples but will be used to serve and save the community.
It’s about the journey
"One thing we are having more discussion about is the space being a journey," says DeGroot. “Something curated by the Church, part self-curated by the guest/member. That journey incorporates spaces that are visually stimulating from the parking lot in, including lobbies that clearly help people self-identify where they are and what is expected of them. Spaces that have flow and are outfitted with nooks and edges designed to help people connect are a constant, but adding some novelty to the individual church that symbolizes their culture is increasingly important."
We have to continually ask ourselves, DeGroot notes: "‘Why is this space unique?’"
And he closes, "Finally, more gathering spaces that also serve as sending centers are on the rise. We need to think more about what people experience on the way out of the church--not just on the way in.”
[Editor's note: This piece was originally published in April 2019.]
