Church and community
Heights Church: Designing for growth while honouring a church’s sense of identity
Upon joining the larger Westside Church Network, this suburban church in Jamboree Heights needed a strong architectural vision to guide future growth. The challenge was combining the new, forward-facing energy without losing its original sense of identity and community.
Our Masterplan response builds on what’s already there - unifying the separate buildings, uplifting the auditorium, and providing a focal point of gathering and welcoming that opens new connections to its surrounding context.
Project Type Church Alterations and Additions
Location Jamboree Heights, QLD
Scope Stage 1 Completed
Builder Allan White Constructions
Structure Paterdis
The Beginning: Client Vision & Site Context
Plentiful space on a small campus, and an aging hall with baptism as its focus
The church stood at a prominent street corner, but was strangely walled off and accessed from the rear. A series of separate buildings formed the small campus - a main hall, added to over time focussing on a corner; a couple of single dwelling houses; and a disused former daycare centre.
The church originally engaged our firm to assist with a new stage and Amenities. As we understood what they were trying to do, we pushed for an overarching Masterplan that would guide decision-making over time. In doing so, we wanted to address more than initial practicalities of stage space and bathrooms. There was an optimism and a heart for community here - the building very much needed to express this in tangible ways that would not only benefit the church community, but also be engaging and relevant to the neighbourhood.
Our Design Response
Masterplan as North Star
The Masterplan has proven immensely helpful to the church, expressing the growth vision in an architectural language that also respects its original identity as a somewhat quiet, humble, suburban scale facility. We took the language of the “non-church” - suburban residential scale as a cluster of buildings, recognisable brickwork and patio forms, working with the existing trees that old church members planted, and creating spaces of welcoming and gathering that is understandable and relatable. We broke down side fences - instead of treating the main road as hostile, terraced pathways create a sense of invitation and engagement.
Within the church hall, we proposed a new concept - taking the assymetrical web of structural ribs, and using them as opportunities for lighting. Then a new impetus to introduce warmth and colour, while amplifying the original Architect’s use of daylight to illuminate the entry and the stage. A new Baptism pool has now been integrated into the stage itself, with much improved space to allow for a larger, contemporary worship band.
For now, the church has completed early Stage and Amenities fitout works. We look forward to seeing the facility evolve further over time.
“Billy and the team were very professional and responsive to our needs and showed a deep appreciation of the needs of our church community. We valued their personal approach in both campus masterplanning and design and documentation of the main auditorium upgrade. Their documentation was excellent and administrative support was very efficient. We would recommend Ever Architects for similar projects.”
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