Religious Spaces
THE PRACTICE OF BNIM
Religious Spaces
Religious facilities serve as places of connection, community, prayer, and sanctuary for many. BNIM has worked with our clients and their communities to envision, design, or restore their religious spaces, creating welcoming and supportive environments for people to gather in prayer, fellowship, education, reflection, and celebration.
Westport Presbyterian Church
The reconstruction of a historic place of sanctuary for a church community following destruction
In 2012, BNIM was selected to lead the reconstruction of the Westport Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, Missouri, a 27,000 square foot multi-story church building in one of Kansas City’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods. The existing church building was severely damaged in a catastrophic fire in 2011, and while much of the Church’s roof structure, interior structure and finishes were destroyed, the exterior limestone shell survived the fire in good condition. The restored original building and new addition houses a 150-seat sanctuary, 40seat chapel, gathering space, fellowship room, 3,00 square foot multi-purpose room, administrative offices and office space, which can be leased to local non-profits. In addition, a 1,000 square foot “storefront” space is located at street level on Westport Road. The storefront serves the community and allows the Church to extend their ministry beyond the historic walls of the Sanctuary.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Size: 27,000 SF
Completion: 2016
IMPACT + INNOVATION
Constructed in 1905, the original stone façade of Westport Presbyterian Church stands today as one of the most notable structures in the heart of Kansas City’s historic Westport community. In reverence to the Church’s rich history, this project restores the most significant portion of the original church structure – the original sanctuary building and tower. The new addition creates a stronger presence in Westport, while acknowledging the tradition and history of both the Westport Presbyterian Church and the community it serves.
PROCESS
The Westport Presbyterian Church congregation, which had celebrated the 185-year anniversary of its founding at the start of the project, worked closely with BNIM’s design team to define its vision for the next 100 years. The design solution was reverent to the history of the church as well as dynamic and forward-thinking, reflective of the Westport neighborhood. Employing sustainable building strategies, our team designed and constructed a high-performance building envelope, rainwater gardens, extensive storm water management, and
deconstructed the historical church to reuse salvaged stone and wood, ensuring materials that had been part of the Church’s history for the past 100 years would continue into the next century. With the music ministry holding a very important role in Westport Presbyterian Church, BNIM’s team also worked with Jaffe Holden to design an acoustical space within the sanctuary that created a balance between the human voice and the organ.
A 21 Stop Opus 24 organ, constructed by Martin Pasi of Pasi Organ Builders was part of the design solution.
AWARDS
AIA Iowa
Honor Award, Excellence in Design 2018
Kansas City Business Journal
Capstone Award, Architectural Design 2017
Illuminating Engineering Society
Regional Illumination Award 2017
Illuminating Engineering Society
National Illumination Award 2017
IIDA Mid-America Design Awards
Judge’s Choice 2017
IIDA Mid-America Design Awards
Gold, Renovation/Restoration 2017
Faith & Form Magazine
Design Award, Religious Architecture 2017
Associated General Contractors of America
Alliant Build America Award, Renovation Under $10M 2017
ENR Midwest
Best Project, Cultural/Worship 2016
AIA Kansas City Citation, Design Excellence Awards 2016
AIA Kansas
Merit, Excellence in Preservation / Adaptive Reuse 2016
Lutheran Church of Hope
A place of sanctuary and connection within a rapidly expanding contextual environment
Lutheran Church of Hope-Ankeny is the suburban satellite campus of a large Evangelical Lutheran Church in the heart of Iowa. The church is a place of sanctuary and connection within a rapidly expanding contextual environment composed of mixeduse development along an arterial street connecting multiple neighborhoods. As phase one of development for a fast-growing congregation, the programmatic functions include a 700-seat flexible worship space, a gathering space, 24/7 chapel, coffee shop, nursery, offices, and educational facilities. In addition, the ministry provides a kitchen and food pantry function for those in need within the larger community. To support this new satellite congregation, the structure creates a setting for connection, community and sanctuary.
Location: Ankeny, Iowa Size: 32,000 SF Completion: 2015
SITE PLAN
IMPACT + INNOVATION
The volumes of the Lutheran Church of Hope-Ankeny are contained within a simple rectangular footprint wrapped by smooth, white concrete walls. The elegant form sits in stark contrast to the earth tone sided and shingled environment of its surrounding suburb. The 24/7 chapel anchors the structure to the site, reaching upward with a symbolic cross. The wall of the main gathering space, which grows from the chapel form, gradually increases in porosity to provide views to and from the worship environment. Within the worship space, folded wall
surfaces continue to wrap space and volume and culminate in a glass cross that is revealed through light. These porous walls will always remain the primary focus, serving as an organizing device to inform facility growth over time. The twenty-acre site is developed with low-maintenance native vegetation and a pond to manage storm water for the larger series of residential and commercial lots surrounding it. Over time, a prayer walk and a memorial grove of trees will surround the pond.
“This project is a fine example of creative architects’ skill of doing much with littledelivering a skillful composition with clear, straightforward detailing that elevates its modest palette of materials and suburban site.”
JURY COMMENTS
2016 AIA Kansas
AWARDS
AIA Kansas
Merit Award, Excellence in Architecture
2016
AIA Central States Region
Honor Award, Excellence in Architecture
2016
AIA Kansas City
Honor Award
2015
AIA Iowa
Excellence in Design, Honor Award
2015
Leawood Presbyterian Church
To support the mission and needs of its congregation, Leawood Presbyterian Church determined the need for an addition and renovation of its existing campus buildings. BNIM is working with Leawood Presbyterian Church to transform the site to establish enhanced, harmonious connectivity between existing and new structures while providing a beautiful and inspiring context for the church and its surrounding community. The design will include a new lens that rises from the existing roof, emphasizing natural light and views for the main entry; renovation of both the Sanctuary and Education wing; expansion of gathering areas; and additional classrooms and multi-purpose spaces to serve Church’s congregation.
Location: Leawood, Kansas Size: 17,500 SF
Congregation Beth Shalom
A sacred space for Congregation Beth Shalom in Overland Park, inspired by historic Polish synagogue design
BNIM, in partnership with Preston Scott Cohen, was enlisted to help design a renovation and new addition for Congregation Beth Shalom in Overland Park, Kansas. The project’s primary focus is creating a sacred space to serve the Congregation and will include: a sanctuary with seating for up to 500; a library minyan or chapel for smaller gatherings and focused study of the Torah; a flexible lobby for fellowship before and after services; a reception space for community celebrations; a Kosher kitchen for daily meal preparation and special events; and outdoor amenity space. The design establishes a strong link to historic Polish synagogue design with interior organization centered on the Torah ark.
Location: Overland Park, Kansas
Lutheran Church of Hope - Johnston Grimes
A gathering place nestled into the landscape welcomes an expanding church community
Lutheran Church of Hope – Grimes is a satellite facility of a large, multi-campus Evangelical Lutheran Church in the heart of Iowa. The 21,150 square-foot building serves as a community and worship center for a fast-growing congregation within an expanding rural community. The building is shaped with two simple volumes. The darker worship form is crafted with a hand-made texture of clay tiles and serves as the vessel where larger worship and education functions reside. The lower singlestory white, metal clad-form serves as a support bar to the larger worship form and creates a warm “front porch” with the incorporation of cedar and a cantilevered protective overhang. The cross stands as a third element in the composition marking the entrance and balancing the building composition.
Location: Grimes, Iowa
Size: 21,150 SF
Completion: 2018
IMPACT + INNOVATION
The site is part of a larger planned residential and commercial development focused on walkability and community. The site topography, configuration, and orientation allowed the building to be placed near the center of the site and be oriented toward a regional storm water pond, an informal outdoor worship space, and community vehicular round-a-bout. Vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow around the southern and western boundaries allowing the building to be viewed from a distance as a humble form nestled into the earth. Worshippers and visitors approach and enter the building from a modest one story “porch” on the east and have views to the site and pond from the interior. Gathering spaces, educational facilities, and a flexible 400-seat worship space enable residents to grow and connect within the life of the church and the surrounding community.
AWARDS
The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture & Design & The European Centre for Architecture Art American Architecture Award
2020
AIA Kansas Honor Award, Architectural Project 2019
AIA Iowa Honor Award 2019
AIA Kansas City Merit Award 2019
Jacob’s Well Addition and Renovation
BNIM has been honored to design an addition to the existing building with Jacob’s Well, a thriving creative church community located in the heart of midtown Kansas City, Missouri. The beloved existing building, constructed in 1930 by Roanoke Presbyterian Church, was not designed for the current congregation and today’s accessibility standards. To better support the mission of the church, the design acknowledges the need for more diverse spaces to serve three themes: hospitality, spiritual formation, and community engagement.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Size: 7,615 SF
Completion: 2018
In collaboration with church leadership, the design team has worked to provide more gathering space for the community while upgrading accessibility deficiencies at the existing building. The addition includes a fellowship hall, where the congregation can meet before and after Sunday gatherings, provide educational space for various programs, and host special functions such as rehearsal dinners. It also provides flexible working and meeting space, and a space dedicated to youth education. The addition is connected to the existing building by a glass-enclosed link that allows for visual connection between two courtyard landscapes: an informal playground and a more formal contemplative space. Direct access to the link also provides at-grade wheelchair accessibility direct to an elevator that provides new access to all three levels of the existing building and addition.
The massing of the new addition sensitively relate to the residential scale of the surrounding neighborhood while creating a better connection to the community in which it resides. The setbacks from both Wyoming and Genessee Streets respect the proximity of the next-door neighbors to the south by placing the new addition adjacent to backyards rather than the homes. The shingled slate siding and other materials are reflective of the residential setting and take detailing cues from the existing church building. Direct access to the The fellowship hall opens up to a public exterior patio space and vegetated amphitheater, creating a new welcoming front door to the church. Accommodations for a future roof garden and terrace will provide an opportunity for outdoor staff break area and small gatherings. The community garden to the east has been relocated and more formalized in raised beds along 42nd Street. New plantings across the site reflect the mature neighborhood tree-lined streets and offer buffers for parking and other activity for the immediate neighbors.
AWARDS
AIA Kansas City
Honor, Architecture Small, Design Excellence Awards
2018
AIA Kansas Honor, Excellence in Design, Design Awards
2018
AIA Central States Citation, Design Awards
2018
“We really appreciated the integration of building and landscape; the building section of the addition is really wonderful. It really creates strong uses and connections between the old and the new. From the interior of the new building you really get interesting perspectives to the existing and there’s a really strong presence of the original architecture in the new. It’s very respectful, very modest, but really well detailed. The quality of craft and thought that was put into it was really exceptional”
JENNIFER YOOS
FAIA, VJAA
2018 AIA Kansas City Design Excellence Awards Jury Member
