Three Women Changing Church Architecture

As more and more women enter the fields of architecture, engineering, and construction, several who are focused on church architecture speak about their design approach.

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As church design evolves, so, too, does the profession itself. Once a rarity in church architecture firms, a growing number of women are claiming their place as key members of the project team.

“There are more women in architecture––and in engineering and construction––than even when I started my career 15 years ago,” says Jacquelyn Block, AIA, LEED AP, associate principal and director of the ChurchWorks Studio at GFF Inc. in Dallas. “And that continues to increase.”

Regardless of gender, for aspiring architects––and for those who are in the early stages of their career––Block offers this advice: find a good mentor. “It’s really important to have someone you can go to to ask questions, someone that you look up to and that you respect,” she says. This individual may be someone within your own organization, or they may work at another company. She notes that GFF has a mentorship program that pairs existing employees with people who are just starting out at the firm. “They usually encourage people to find a mentor outside of their own team, so you have another resource for advice, guidance, and encouragement.”

“Getting that feedback, listening to it, reflecting on it, and then trying to get better is important for career growth.”

> Jacquelyn Block, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Principal and Director, ChurchWorks Studio, GFF Inc., Dallas, TX

Speaking of feedback, Block counsels young architects to seek it out often. “It is really important to get regular feedback from your team leader and from your peers,” she says. “Getting that feedback, listening to it, reflecting on it, and then trying to get better is important for career growth.”

Recently, Church.Design sat down separately with Block, Amy Findley of Michael Graves Architecture & Design, and Page Cross with Equip Studio to gain feedback on their approach to designing for the religious market. 

Jacquelyn Block, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Principal and ChurchWorks Studio Director | GFF Inc. | Dallas, Texas

Jacquelyn Block was raised in a family that made things. Having grown up among engineers, artists, and builders, it isn’t surprising that she eventually wound up being an architect.

Block began her studies in architectural engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. After working for a little while, she returned to earn her Masters in Architecture. When she joined GFF, the firm’s ChurchWorks Studio––which, as its title suggests, focuses on design for the religious market ––it seemed like a perfect fit, based on her previous experience designing for K-12 schools.

“There is a lot of overlap between schools and churches from a planning perspective,” Block says. “The programming is complex: you have the worship space, the outdoor spaces––which are so important for churches and schools––education spaces, hospitality, the commons area, coffee bars, and office space. There are all of these pieces to put together, which is a fun challenge to work through.” While she spends the majority of her time working on churches, Block continues to work with K-12 schools as well.

Block relays that, for her, the discovery phase of church projects is critical. “Initially, it’s just getting to know the people and getting to know the church––walking through their existing space, watching the service, and understanding who they are,” she says. The most important part of this exercise is listening: “It’s not us coming and telling them [what they need], it’s listening; asking lots of questions initially, and then understanding the ‘why,’ what their goals and vision are, and what challenges they’re having.”

Block believes that she and her team are successful due to their strong collaboration skills. “We get the best project when there’s a lot of collaboration both internally with our team, but also with our clients,” she says. GFF’s ChurchWorks Studio comprises a team of 15 members, including architects and interior designers that prioritize open communication, dialogue, sharing, and regular progress feedback. “It takes time to [gather] and go through information, but that sets the tone for the project and it’s very critical.”

Block is working with several churches to explore ways they can optimize the usage of their facilities seven days a week. She notes that some churches are transforming their facilities to accommodate co-working and office space for non-profits and other organizations, while others are designing outdoor areas for community activities such as volleyball and pickleball. “We’re exploring different things to provide opportunities for the community to use their facilities,” she explains. “That’s a chance to get to know more people in the community and for churches to help fill a need in the community. It costs a lot of money to operate and maintain a facility, so [they’re asking] how they can maximize the use of their facilities.”

Amy Findley, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate | Michael Graves Architecture & Design | Princeton, N.J.

As a kid, Amy Findley enjoyed flipping through the real estate section of the local newspaper with her dad. She wasn’t in the market for a home, per se; it was the house plan of the week she was interested in. Every Sunday, the paper published one, along with a rendering of the home’s front exterior––visuals that led to dad/daughter discussions on what aspects of the design they liked, and what they would change.

These conversations prompted Findley to begin drawing her own house plans, which led to an interest in architecture. “Of course, I have never designed a single-family house in my career, but that’s what got me interested,” she jokes. In high school she took drafting classes before moving on to architectural studies at Virginia Tech.

At Michael Graves Architecture & Design, Findley focuses on designing community centers, workplaces, and houses of worship. Primarily, she works with Protestant churches seeking renovations and redesigns of existing spaces. She plays the dual role of project manager and project architect.

Lately, a recurring trend is the need for flexible spaces in church facilities, Findley observes. Fellowship halls may also be used for banquets and larger events, while lobbies aren’t mere entry points, but spaces with seating for small get-togethers or one-on-one conversations. She also notes an increasing prevalence of indoor spaces that spill into outdoor gathering areas.

“Flexibility of spaces has become a big factor, and I think that’s something our firm has always tried to build into our church designs,” Findlay says. “Having spaces that are flexible and that can be used as a classroom on Sunday morning, but then a community group might rent it out during the week, or it may be used for staff meetings or mom’s groups.” This helps, she says, optimize the facility: “If you have three different groups that need the same-sized space but at three different times during the week, they can all use that space.” 

Findley believes that one of the things that makes church clients unique is that, with the exception of some larger facilities (or those who happen to have a committee member who works in architecture, engineering, or building), most are unfamiliar with design and construction. “For a lot of staff or ministry leaders, they’ve never gone through the design process of talking about what they need in a building, and thinking about how they could function differently in a new space,” she says. “And so we have to walk them through: how are you doing things now? If you could have anything you wanted, what would your dream ministry space be like?” From there, Findley and her team provide suggestions on what they’ve seen work in other worship spaces, and what hasn’t. “We help guide that conversation based on our experience of church design.”

Page Cross, Jr. Project Manager | Equip Studio | Greenville, S.C.

Page Cross began working as a junior designer at Equip Studio in 2018. She left briefly to complete her Masters at Virginia Tech, returning upon graduation. Having interned at a large firm in 2017, Cross knew that she was more attracted to working in a smaller organization. At approximately 30 employees, Equip offers her a more close-knit work environment.

“Equip is very focused on educating; we have a lot of young staff members and they’re letting them grow,” Cross says. “I have a big professional opportunity here and I’m able to learn a lot really quickly. It’s just more personal––you have a personal relationship with the partners. I like that aspect of it.”

Cross says she knew she wanted to be an architect the moment she knew what architecture was. “In elementary school, I would get in trouble for sketching floor plans of my dream house––I would have a chocolate lava river [in the design] or something else that a seven year-old girl would want. It’s something that always interested me, and I’ve always liked beauty and aesthetics, but I’ve also always been really good at math. It was just a good fit.”

Right now, Cross holds the position of junior project manager at Equip. She says that while she’s comfortable with the architectural side of the profession, she’s currently developing her managerial skills. “I’m getting used to training new people now, which is different, and getting used to taking charge,” she relays. “Even as a junior designer I had some experience being a point of contact with engineers, but now I’m really trying to figure out how to finesse all these relationships.”

Equip has also given Cross the opportunity to mentor new recruits, a role she says she has embraced. “I’m really enjoying educating some of the younger team members, which is a newer thing for me––it’s not too long ago I was the youngest team member,” she says. Mentoring, she explains, has helped her to understand just how much she has absorbed already. “I enjoy helping them learn and get to a point where, in four years, they can do as much as I can or any of the other junior PMs can.”

Cross may not be the youngest member of Equip’s team anymore, but physically, she certainly doesn’t present as old. During Church.Design’s conversation with her, it felt important to ask: do you have issues being taken seriously on the job?

In the office, this isn’t a problem, she assures us. “But just being a young female in general in life, it can be hard to be taken seriously––people make assumptions about you,” Cross says. “It’s probably a defense mechanism that I’ve developed, where I bolster up that confident energy even if I’m not actually confident on the inside. I think if you at least project that you believe you belong, other people will think you belong.”

Cross encourages other female architects to seek out healthy workplaces that provide a solid foundation for development. “[Try to] find an office environment that supports you as you are learning, and that is there to back you up when you don’t know everything,” she advises. “Exuding confidence as a young professional is a lot easier knowing you have support from your colleagues.”

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