columbia presbyterian church
COLUMBIA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Columbia, Maryland This major expansion project for a rapidly growing suburban congregation achieved three main objectives; it created a welcoming lobby, renovated the multi-use gym into a more spiritual environment for worship while maintaining flexibility, and expanded classroom and support space. Glass clerestories, made of inverted trusses, extend from a masonry wrapper and unify the classrooms, lobby, and sanctuary spaces. These elements in turn represent learning, fellowship, and worship, the three major components of the church’s identity.
EXISTING
The design extends along the highest part of the site, connecting to the existing multi-purpose facility, while remaining central to the existing parking on the site. The building takes advantage of a sloping site to reduce the building’s footprint by stacking classrooms and a community room beneath the major rooms of the main level. The community room is adjacent to an outdoor patio and is frequently used for weddings and weekday worship.
NEW
The seating in the sanctuary is designed in a radial fashion that allows a greater sense of intimacy for the space over the former configuration of a traditional nave. SITE PLAN
DIAGRAMMATIC AXON
before
The original building had no lobby except for an entry stairway that connected the multi-use level with the lower level classrooms. The new addition replaces this stair tower with three successive wrapping layers. The first is a thin layer around the original structure and houses service spaces like vestibules, control rooms, storage, and a welcome center. The next layer has a vaulted roof with light wells up to a clerestory. The outer masonry layer contains spaces such as classrooms, nurseries, an elevator and toilet rooms. The main entry penetrates through the outer masonry layer and is accented by wood panels that match the interior finish of the lobby.
The welcome center (top left) is located at the intersection of the lobby spaces. The main entrance (left) has a deep overhang that extends over the accessible ramp. The clerestory is a unifying feature of the lobby areas (below).
FUTURE SANCTUARY S.
STAGE
TERRACE KITCHEN (K) SANCTUARY / MULTIPURPOSE ROOM
NURSERY
The new building compared to the original allows for better movement among program areas, casual socialization in the lobby, and state of the art spaces more carefully matching their functional needs. In short they function as a church in ways they never could in their original structure.
S. NURSERY STORAGE (S.) LOBBY LOUNGE
MAIN ENTRANCE UPPER LEVEL
FUTURE CONSTRUCTION
CL.
CL.
CL.
CL.
CL.
LIBRARY
CLASSROOM S. (CL.)
CL.
CL.
CL.
CL.
S.
MUSIC
K. COURTYARD
UPPER LEVEL
CL.
S. CL.
COMMUNITY ROOM
EXISTING BUILDING NEW CONSTRUCTION
The lounge (left) is located adjacent to the multi-purpose room and looks over the community room courtyard (bottom, left). The nursery area (above) is now located near the lobby and main entrance to facilitate drop-off during services.
before
The existing laminated wood gym (above) was given a new ceiling that incorporated sophisticated lighting, HVAC, acoustic absorptive materials and a large light scoop to the existing space’s clerestory (left). A dramatic stage addition was added to the side of the space to reorient seating into the round (bottom left), and allow for an easier conversion of the space to other uses (below).
The secondary entrance leads to the administrative offices and additional parking.
EXISTING
The design extends along the highest part of the site, connecting to the existing multi-purpose facility, while remaining central to the existing parking on the site. The building takes advantage of a sloping site to reduce the building’s footprint by stacking classrooms and a community room beneath the major rooms of the main level. The community room is adjacent to an outdoor patio and is frequently used for weddings and weekday worship.
NEW
The seating in the sanctuary is designed in a radial fashion that allows a greater sense of intimacy for the space over the former configuration of a traditional nave. SITE PLAN
DIAGRAMMATIC AXON
before
The original building had no lobby except for an entry stairway that connected the multi-use level with the lower level classrooms. The new addition replaces this stair tower with three successive wrapping layers. The first is a thin layer around the original structure and houses service spaces like vestibules, control rooms, storage, and a welcome center. The next layer has a vaulted roof with light wells up to a clerestory. The outer masonry layer contains spaces such as classrooms, nurseries, an elevator and toilet rooms. The main entry penetrates through the outer masonry layer and is accented by wood panels that match the interior finish of the lobby.
The welcome center (top left) is located at the intersection of the lobby spaces. The main entrance (left) has a deep overhang that extends over the accessible ramp. The clerestory is a unifying feature of the lobby areas (below).
FUTURE SANCTUARY S.
STAGE
TERRACE KITCHEN (K) SANCTUARY / MULTIPURPOSE ROOM
NURSERY
The new building compared to the original allows for better movement among program areas, casual socialization in the lobby, and state of the art spaces more carefully matching their functional needs. In short they function as a church in ways they never could in their original structure.
S. NURSERY STORAGE (S.) LOBBY LOUNGE
MAIN ENTRANCE UPPER LEVEL
FUTURE CONSTRUCTION
CL.
CL.
CL.
CL.
CL.
LIBRARY
CLASSROOM S. (CL.)
CL.
CL.
CL.
CL.
S.
MUSIC
K. COURTYARD
UPPER LEVEL
CL.
S. CL.
COMMUNITY ROOM
EXISTING BUILDING NEW CONSTRUCTION
The lounge (left) is located adjacent to the multi-purpose room and looks over the community room courtyard (bottom, left). The nursery area (above) is now located near the lobby and main entrance to facilitate drop-off during services.
before
The existing laminated wood gym (above) was given a new ceiling that incorporated sophisticated lighting, HVAC, acoustic absorptive materials and a large light scoop to the existing space’s clerestory (left). A dramatic stage addition was added to the side of the space to reorient seating into the round (bottom left), and allow for an easier conversion of the space to other uses (below).
The secondary entrance leads to the administrative offices and additional parking.
