Religious, Childcare

Five Lakes Church had outgrown their existing facility and expansion was limited by the size of their property. Our design team worked with the church to obtain approval from the AHJ for a conditional use permit before the architectural design phase. We developed a multi-phase master plan of their property with the first phase including; a 35,000 SF new construction building, 250 parking spaces, an 800 seat auditorium (expandable to 1,400), a multi-functional lobby, a dedicated and secure kids classroom wing, adult classrooms, office space, and an outdoor playground. 

The partial second floor houses staff offices and meeting space. The building’s orientation faces southeast allowing morning sunlight to penetrate the primary entrance. Clerestory windows run the length of the lobby providing natural daylight to the building’s primary circulation paths.

Natural materials like wood and stone have been incorporated into building features such as interior trellises and columns to reinforce a connection with nature. Biophilic patterned flooring extends throughout the building bringing another reference to the outdoors. A phrase that directed the design process was “rooted and relevant” which meant for the project to be rooted in the organization's history and relevant to a new generation of people. 

We translated this phrase into architecture by pairing familiar natural materials with contemporary building forms and ample windows. 

Two legacy elements that moved from their existing building and incorporated into the new were a large stained-glass window that because the primary lobby feature and 12 bricks that featured at the primary entrance.