Building Functional and Beautiful Worship Spaces

Step inside any house of worship and you’ll likely see one common characteristic: wide open venues. Churches, temples, and other religious gathering spaces need room for community, fellowship, and worship. Building these structures requires a unique look at each facility’s requirements before any groundbreaking can begin.

At STAR Inc., we’ve worked with religious leaders and their community members to design and plan worship spaces that factor in spiritual needs as well as practical realities. Here are some of the top questions we ask our clients to consider. Their answers help us design and build a house of worship that is customized to each congregation:

How does your main worship space need to flow?

Most worship spaces need a design that features large expanses where an altar, stage, or pulpit can be seen by all. Different build techniques can deliver this type of environment, but not all will flow or feel authentic to the religion. It’s important to weigh all options based on cost, budget, architectural goals and more.

Are there special services or traditions your main worship space needs to also accommodate?

Weekly or daily services may be top-of-mind, but you don’t want to overlook the special events that make a worship space special.

What is the size of your congregation, and will it continue to grow?

We want to make sure any structure we build can accommodate your needs well into the future.

What additional gathering or work spaces do you need?

Does your church host special concerts or performances? Are you teaching classes and need small rooms for young congregants? Flexible space allows for diversity in small to large group assemblies. Some worship spaces need places for additional tasks: kitchens for food prep, a fellowship hall for receptions, offices for workers, a nursery, etc.

How do you want the building’s architecture or interior to reflect your faith and traditions?

What makes your faith special? What materials will reflect the church’s identity best? Woodworking or exposed beams can bring a sense of nature to a space while more finished textures can feel modern and clean. It’s important to consider the overall atmosphere you want to create for worship.

From an HVAC standpoint – are there special considerations?

Managing temperature and airflow in large, open spaces can sometimes be a challenge. This means planning for cooling and heating that keeps congregants comfortable in any season. We’ll also consider door placement. If exterior doors will remain open before or after services, how can these be placed for the best conditioned space management.

What types of acoustics need to be factored in?

For many services, the spoken word is paramount, but music or vocals can also be a large part of the celebration. Does your church have a band or choir? Where will they sit or perform? Large spaces can sometimes be a challenge when it comes to acoustics, so planning for sound and incorporating sound systems and materials that dampen acoustics can assure your space serves your needs. We’ll also consider ways to integrate sound systems so they feel like a natural part of the space. Finally, we’ll look at how critical (and sometimes noisy) systems like HVAC can be isolated so the sound doesn’t inhibit services.