First Baptist Church, Covington, Louisiana; All images: Mike Miriello; Architect: Waldon Studio Architects
After recently completing a $40 million expansion, First Baptist Church in Covington, La., focused its attention on the construction of a chapel and supporting social hall adjacent to the church. The builder, Kent Design Build of Mandeville, La., enlisted the service of Waldon Studio Architects, a firm based in Columbia, Md., to design these spaces.
“I can build most anything, but the last 10% is really where the art comes in. I guess for me that’s my favorite part, that it got executed well all the way down through the details.”
Ravi Waldon, Owner, Waldon Studio Architects, Columbia, MD
Traditionally, such projects are commissioned by the church outright; this chapel was conceived by an artist and congregation member who believed that what First Baptist lacked was an intimate space for wedding receptions, funerals, small conferences, and social gatherings. One of her goals was to have these facilities incorporate the elements associated with classic Southern architecture and design.
Environmental conscience
First Baptist’s lot features a population of live oak trees, whose preservation required special consideration in the design. The property’s oldest live oak sits in the center of the building site, and the chapel and smaller social hall are positioned around it. Between the two structures is a landscaped garden plaza complete with native plants and a fountain––features that intentionally create a space for quiet reflection, much like a prayer garden. This outdoor space can also be used for gatherings and dinners welcoming up to 300 guests, yet the combination of its situation, and visual and auditory softness (the trees, plants, and water features) still maintain its intimacy, even when accommodating a crowd.
Southern design details
Ravi Waldon, owner of Waldon Studio Architects, relays that the integration of landscaping and construction is one of his favorite things about this project. “And I love that it didn’t get overly complicated; it stayed relatively simple in terms of the form of the building,” he says. He adds that the details were also well-executed. “I can build most anything, but the last 10% is really where the art comes in. I guess for me that’s my favorite part, that it got executed well all the way down through the details.”
The chapel itself features a 300-seat sanctuary, which visitors enter under a bell tower. Wood trusses in gable form pay respect to classic Southern design but also feature modern detailing, as do the building’s custom-milled, hand-carved walnut doors. Natural light spills into the sanctuary through several sets of French doors and transom windows. A stained glass window, also custom-created for this space, takes its inspiration from the live oaks. Natural wood and aged materials are used throughout.
The adjacent social hall houses a reception space as well as support spaces for special events. While smaller in scale, this building incorporates many of the same features as the chapel, including natural and aged materials.
Audiovisual design elements
While based on a traditional design, the chapel is also outfitted with the latest audiovisual technology. CSD Group, an AV design and integration company based in New Haven, Indiana, led this portion of the project. The firm was responsible for acoustical design and treatment, as well as the integration of loudspeaker systems in the main sanctuary, the narthex, as well as the brides’ room, outdoor areas, and social hall. For video, CSD provided a pan/tilt camera system in the sanctuary for recording weddings and other events, as well as video systems in the social hall.
One of Waldon’s main preoccupations with the AV integration was that it would compromise the chapel’s architecture and design, mandating the need to hide the technology. “You design this beautiful space with all these trusses, and having all this equipment hanging down is not what we wanted,” he says. “CSD found a way to integrate it [discreetly.]” He adds that bringing CSD into the design phase early on contributed, in part, to the AV integration’s success. “By bringing them in very early and just making sure that they’re a part of the design process early on, they’re not just putting equipment into a space. They really make the space work architecturally as well as technologically.”
Brent Mullett, principal consultant at CSD, notes that CSD has shared a long history with Waldon Studio Architects, which makes the exchange of ideas a natural process. “[It was very] comfortable to make suggestions back and forth to ensure the AVL design took into account the requirements for the equipment to be discreet, and [to blend] in with the overall decor of the space,” he relays. “We took extra time to conceal lighting fixtures, video displays, and cabling as much as possible, and we made adjustments in the field to the acoustical stretch fabric system to make sure it blended in better with the walls.”
Mullett also points out that being included during the early design phase of a project allows AV professionals the opportunity to set client expectations associated with technology features and performance, and how that relates to budget. “It is just better for everyone,” he says. “The earlier we become involved, the better we can serve [the builder and architect] and protect the end user from unexpected costs.” He adds that this makes for a more seamless project workflow during both planning and delivery.
This project took place during the height of the pandemic, when team members were constrained by lockdowns and travel restrictions. Waldon says that delivering a successful project under these conditions shows that virtual meetings do, indeed, work. But he also points to the strength and enthusiasm of the entire team as the main driver behind the project’s success. “When people capture the idea of something, they pour themselves into it,” he says.
