A FUNctional Children’s Space
If the inner workings of a child’s mind could be mapped, the journey would be one filled with colors, shapes, and uninhibited, unexpected twists and turns. Children’s imaginations mirror the skill of their Creator and feed that all-important childlike faith—the kind we are to strive for—that sparks a desire to explore and a refusal to be bound by the obstacles of reality. It is this mode of thinking that should be infused into children’s ministry and, likewise, into the design of children’s facilities.
Indiana Avenue Baptist Church (IABC) has embraced and applied this concept everywhere by creating ministries that speak to people of every age and every stage, teaching them to in turn use their talents to glorify God and bring others in. “We just want to be disciples. We desire to reach all age groups with the good news of Jesus Christ,” says Michael Menasco, administration and education pastor at the church in Lubbock, Texas.
Ten years ago, this simple yet bold determination moved IABC to purchase 56 acres for a future master-planned campus that would be a home base for discipleship. The church established itself there with a multipurpose facility and then resolved that the children would be next. Since then, subdivisions full of young families have sprung up around the property, making a child-oriented attitude a necessity.
“We believe that many parents are looking for a church that truly cares for children,” says Menasco, “and a facility, or the lack thereof, is a large indicator of how a church views and ministers to children.”
Planning with Play in Mind
When IABC teamed up with Dallas-based BASIC Architecture and Interiors and embarked on a new master plan in 2006, the children’s building was still the top priority. Moreover, the church’s heart for children had grown, and it desired a facility that children would unmistakably recognize as their own.
BASIC and IABC, together with Dallas builder, Goff Cos., decided to execute the project using an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) approach. According to BASIC Principal Stephen Pickard, IPD centers upon the architect, builder, engineers, and all consultants working collaboratively with the church from the beginning of the project.
“Typically, the process saves time, ensures more accurate cost estimating, and optimizes results,” says Pickard. “Builders generally have their finger on the pulse in terms of market trends, and can provide a much more accurate estimation of the true project cost.”
“The church wanted to benefit from the knowledge and early contributions of multiple professionals in order to construct the most cost-effective building solution,” adds Billy Goff, president of Goff Cos.
Once all the players were in place, the team began brainstorming sessions—what Pickard refers to as “gathering ingredients” for the project. “We reviewed those ‘ingredients’ with the church until we arrived at a basic concept for the design, as well as preliminary budget parameters,” says Pickard.
From there, the process moved to 3D computer modeling, which provided an easy-to-digest visual of different design options. Simultaneously, as the architect was reviewing possible design directions with the church, Goff Cos. was running cost models on each option, providing IABC with 360-degree information.
“We chose the [IPD] method so we wouldn’t wind up with a nice set of plans that was too expensive to actually build,” says Menasco, who is a former technical director and served as the audio-visual and lighting (A/V/L) purchaser and designer for the project.
The design phase of the process also provided IABC with illustrative plans and 3D renderings for use in its fundraising campaign. Over many years, IABC was able to set aside money from its general fund specifically for the children’s building. Once the design was chosen and a budget was proposed, church leaders asked for a one-time gift from congregation members.
“Before construction began we had accumulated half of the total building cost of $5.5 million,” says Menasco. IABC then comfortably financed the rest of the project, settling on a monthly payment equal to the amount it had been allocating from the general budget all along.
Inventive and Imaginative
Children’s wandering minds will have plenty of ground to cover when they first set eyes upon their building. “Textured finishes on the exterior are similar to plaster, and the colors were chosen to complement an adjacent building,” says Pickard. Complement they might, but they definitely don’t blend in. IABC and the design team intended for the children’s building to stand out and be completely unique on the campus. To accomplish this, designers chose an intense blue to cover the towering rotunda, and went one step further in painting the rooftop air-conditioning units a brilliant green.
“As [a child] approaches they perceive the bright blue rotunda and bright green elements as a building that is designed just for them,” explains Pickard. “Hopefully, that generates excitement over what will presumably occur when they are in church.”
According to Goff, the tilt-wall concrete construction system and steel superstructure allowed IABC to build its 30,000-square-foot facility efficiently without sacrificing creativity in design. He adds that a low-slope roof gives the building a non-intimidating façade.
As children draw closer, the glass front of the building creates transparency and allows them to see the indoor play areas and vibrant colors that await their arrival. A drop-off canopy introduces the main lobby where all of the child’s anticipation comes to life in the form of exciting colors and shapes, a giant tropical fish tank, an indoor playground, and abundant open spaces ringing with laughter. The openness aids in security and organization, as the lobby is also the location of the main reception desk and several check-in kiosks, all of which utilize software from Cordova, Tenn.-based Shelby Systems, a church management software provider.
After checking in, children proceed to either the preschool wing (birth-4 years) or school-aged wing (Kindergarten-6th grade). The preschool wing, known as “God’s Garden,” consists of 11 color-themed classrooms surrounding a commons area. Each room has half doors and playful, yet discreet, circular windows. The commons space is built around a blue carpet lake and bordered by two giant tree trunks that house a kitchenette with serving bar, a puppet stage, and a 50-inch plasma TV. The space’s decorative flowers, insects and butterflies are illuminated by natural light from the central skylight.
“In general, we believe that all aspects of the children’s building should speak to children,” says Pickard. “We utilized interesting geometries, volumes, and a lot of color to activate the spaces.”
The school-aged wing has nine additional color-themed classrooms that surround the spacious rotunda, where sunlight from the high windows bounces off the overlapping bubbles of color on the floor. Children can enter the outdoor playground from this point, or proceed through oversized barn doors that lead into the 120-seat theater.
Children spend the first hour of church in their classrooms and then congregate in the theater for the second hour, dubbed “Worship Zone.” The space has a contemporary barn motif with corrugated metal accents and a rustic color palette. In place of installing a full-sized projection screen, Menasco chose Screen Goo, a liquid projection surface that can be applied to wall space.
In designing the independent wings, all parties involved wanted to do away with the institutional feel of classroom-lined corridors. “Since hallways are rarely used, we took the space that would ordinarily be allocated to hallways and combined the areas to form the common spaces,” says Menasco.
“The traditional model of children’s buildings that look and feel like school is outdated and not successful in getting kids excited about church,” Pickard points out.
Although a standard security system and the child check-in system are in place, as an extra precaution designers were careful to highlight one main point of entry and departure, and kept other exits to code minimum. While classes are in session, cameras and a buzz-in system are utilized from the main reception desk. IABC also requested that one classroom be positioned as a storm shelter.
In terms of efficiency, IABC’s LEED-accredited designers selected a highly reflective roof material for heat reduction, called high albedo, that features a coating that lowers the absorption of solar energy, reduces surface temperatures, and decreases heat transfer into the building. The designers also installed a remote-controlled HVAC and lighting system.
Upon the building’s completion in October 2009, IABC launched a marketing campaign within its community. First, fliers and door hangers announcing IABC’s annual Fall Festival were distributed to 5,000 area households. Then, grand opening announcements and tours of the new building were given throughout the festival. Finally, local advertising left no question about IABC’s dedication to children. “We spent about $1,500 on marketing, and the community’s response has been more than worth it,” says Menasco.
Previously, children were sharing space in IABC’s adult building, or meeting in portable buildings. Both situations created confusion, hampered growth in all areas, and were non-conducive to security. With the children’s building in place, IABC has plenty of room for all ages.
“Years ago the decision was made to make our children the priority,” says Menasco. “Now we have this facility that will provide more creativity and functionality for children’s ministry, [as well as] our whole church.”
Indiana Avenue Baptist Church At A Glance
Average Weekly Attendance: 1,000
Denomination: Southern Baptist
Worship Style: Contemporary or blended
Special Events: Fall Festival – October
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Lubbock, Texas (33º35' N, 101º51'W) is located in northwest Texas. Considered to be at the center of the South Plains, the area is located between the Permian Basin to the south and the Texas Panhandle to the north. Lubbock's official elevation is 3,256 feet.
Lubbock was named after Thomas S. Lubbock, a former Texas Ranger and Confederate officer. His brother, Francis R. Lubbock, was the governor of Texas during the Civil War.
The county of Lubbock was founded in 1876. The settlement that is the present-day city of Lubbock was not formed until late 1890. Two settlements within the county, Old Lubbock and Monterey, were combined to form the settlement of Lubbock. During the following year, the settlement of Lubbock was named the county seat for Lubbock County. The city was incorporated on March 16, 1909.Population: 253,045 and growing
Churches: 31 approx. (source: www.churches-in.com)
Neighboring Cities: 347 miles from Dallas; 321 miles from Albuquerque, N.M.
Universities: Texas Tech University, Lubbock Christian University, Wayland Baptist University, South Plains College
Interesting Facts: Home of Buddy Holly, 45% of all the grapes grown in Texas come from the Lubbock area
Source: Information pulled from Lubbock Economic Development Alliance report)
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