Bacon Heights Baptist Church
- interiors, faith based
- Lubbock, Texas
Project Scope
16,000 SF
Construction Type
Additions, Renovations
Project Components
Commons, admin, classroom, check-in, support space, drop-off canopy, landscape master plan
Bacon Heights Baptist Church had lost its identity in the Lubbock community.
People struggled to identify the facility as a church with the existing building being set back off the street and shielded from sight by old elm trees. Bacon Heights also didn’t have a definitive front door – a common struggle with churches after additions are built on to the existing structure. Multiple entries were located around the entire building. From a first-time guest’s perspective, it was unclear where to enter, and once inside, where to go.
Another challenge with this project was the connection of the church’s sanctuary to the rest of the building. The only connection between the buildings was a 10-foot-wide corridor. This area became a large bottleneck every Sunday morning and did not foster fellowship. Security has become a big issue, not just in schools, but also in churches. With a veritable maze of corridors in their existing facility, it was difficult to control or know who was coming and going in the preschool area.
Several solutions were done to help the church create a new identity. The dense landscaping was removed to open up the front of the church, a new monument sign was built alongside the street to draw people’s attention to the front entrance, and the existing courtyard was enclosed to provide a 4,500 square foot commons area. Two new entries were then built that connected straight to the commons area and established a front door for the church.
The result of the new design is a warm central entry point into the church, which acts as a multifunctional fellowship space. The commons area is used as a way-finding hub to the rest of the facility, a welcoming center, a space to fellowship and minister to one another. It is also used for banquets, wedding receptions, and Bible studies. Each year, the church continues to find different ways to use the space. Narrow hallways were widened to help ease the strain of circulation, and a distinctive check-in point was created for the preschool area.
Where the church was once only a place of worship for a few hours on Sunday morning, it has now become a hub of fellowship and activity in the community throughout the week.
The pastor’s only complaint now? How to get people to leave.
Services Provided
Architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, structural engineering, MEP, civil engineering
Awards
AIA Honor Award