Contemporary or Traditional Worship Space; You Can Have Both

03/21/2014 | Ziegler Cooper

Atascocita United Methodist Church worked with Ziegler Cooper and Fretz Construction for the design and construction of a new traditional sanctuary to host their traditional worship service. The church provides both a traditional and contemporary and desired to have these very different services occur simultaneously, thus necessitating the design of a second sanctuary for the church.

“Typically we provide either Contemporary or Traditional Worship Centers for our church clients,” said Paul Lodholz, AIA, LEED, Senior Principal with Ziegler Cooper. “Atascocita United Methodist has gone a step further in providing separate worship spaces for both. We are happy to work with them to continue their mission.”

Ziegler Cooper’s design solution sited the new traditional sanctuary to provide for high visibility off the main thoroughfare perpendicular to FM1960. A large stained glass window and a steeple, that ascends 80 feet into the sky, serve as landmarks for the church. A large, centrally located commons connects the new addition to the existing space and serves as the link to both sanctuaries.

Architectural measures were taken to prevent sounds from simultaneous services from interrupting each other. A music suite with a choir room, robe storage and bell practice room were also added. Adjacent classrooms were designed with temporary walls to allow for the new 515-seat traditional sanctuary to later expand, accommodating 700 seats.

About Ziegler Cooper
Founded in 1977, Ziegler Cooper designs buildings that are inspirational, highly functional and sustainable, resulting in extremely valuable assets for their owners. Our design solutions reflect a fresh approach that respects the context, reinterprets historical tradition and transcends immediate circumstances to connect with the client’s vision. We pursue innovation with an entrepreneurial spirit, exploring the influences of a building — the uniqueness of the site, its setting and current/future occupants, visitors and patrons. A true expression of our firm’s creativity, our space is an open and collaborative studio environment that inspires creativity and collaboration. We believe inspirational architecture has the power to uplift the human spirit and provides a constant vision of excellence. For information about Ziegler Cooper, visit www.zieglercooper.com