When it’s time to begin planning for your new church building, locating the right contractor is vital, and it is equally as important to hire the right architect for your project. Church architects convert concepts into spaces to fulfill your church’s vision.
When it comes to finding the right design team for your church construction project, it’s worth every bit of the effort it takes to look at your options until you are fully satisfied you have the right team assembled. Investing in the right team for design and architectural services is foundational to your new building’s success. Even if the design fee ends up somewhat higher, the right architect can result in long-term savings and deliver benefits to your congregation for years to come.
Church architects help:
- Define the features you describe you need to fulfill the church’s vision.
- Help you best steward your financial investment while building a new facility.
- Make wise recommendations based on their knowledge and understanding of your church’s needs in a new facility.
- They begin their involvement early in the planning process to review your vision and budget.
- They look at your current and future needs in a church facility so the facility can be used for years to come.
- They take into consideration your church’s unique culture, vision, and style during the design process.
- They draw from their experience, education, training and expertise to help navigate the design of your building to best suit your desires.
- They balance the practical needs of your church facility’s function with its form or aesthetics.
- They translate your dynamic vision and particular requirements into creative designs.
- They are highly involved in the planning and design stage of your new facility, and stay involved by visiting the construction site to verify the details are being built according to specifications.
How architects save you money throughout the building process
- A well-conceived project design translates into creating the most economical way to build your new facility, eliminates wasted time and finances, and focuses on achieving your church construction goals.
- It’s much less expensive to make changes on paper than it is to make changes to your facility once construction has started.
- Accurate prices are obtained from the detailed designs of an experienced architect, and church construction projects are better prepared for when accurate prices are presented prior to construction.
- Architects design energy-efficient facilities that keep utilities in check each month.
- They assist you in making wise decisions on your new facility’s materials and finishes, decreasing the need to replace or repair things in the future.
Here are some things to look for when hiring a church architect:
- Your church architect should be licensed.
- Your church architect should be trained, experienced, and qualified to take the lead with the designing and planning for your new church facility.
- They should have the ability to design a church building that is functional for your vision, and beautiful aesthetically.
- They should have creative solutions on how to best meet your church’s unique needs, and a variety of relevant options for you to consider for the planning of your new church building.
- They should be prudent and a good steward of finances, showing respect for the need to reach your goals within your budget. They shouldn’t come up with plans that are not affordable for your church.
- They should be thoroughly familiar with local building codes and laws that set the safety standards that govern construction and protect the public’s use of your building. They should include the special needs of disabled individuals and design the building in a way that best protects people if a fire or emergency occurs.
- They should have specific experience designing church facilities.
- They should give you several referrals for you to look into.
- They should have liability insurance to protect your church.
- They should obtain information on what you want to build, then give you an estimate of their fees. Find out exactly what is and isn’t included in their fees prior to hiring your church architect.
- They should be someone you are able to work well with. Realize you will have a lot of interaction with your architect for an extended period of time, so you should be comfortable communicating with them. They should exhibit a good understanding of you and your vision.
- They should ask lots of questions to show they truly want to learn the unique needs of your church and its vision for reaching others with the Gospel.
- They should look at the cultural and architectural setting of your area and help you turn your building site into a facility that is a desirable destination for those in your community.
- They should ask enough questions and listen well enough that they can design a building that truly reflects your church’s personality, needs, and vision for the future.
- They should be good listeners.
- They should bring you great ideas and show creativity in their building designs and plans.
- They should be willing to consider building future phases according to your church’s specific needs.
Get Expert Church Design with Our Churches by Daniels Team
Churches By Daniels provides architectural designs for sanctuaries, educational spaces, church offices, church kitchens, stages, bookstores, church coffee shops, and youth and children’s spaces within the church. We provide detailed designs creating the functional space you need with beautiful aesthetics to enjoy. Our 3D animation renderings, still renderings, and systems integrations—like audio and lighting coordination—combine to make beautiful spaces where your vision can be realized.
The spirit of excellence, integrity, and loyalty to customers are just a few of the qualities that makes Churches by Daniels different from other church construction companies. Our passion to work with churches to accomplish their vision makes working together a joy as your vision of a new church building becomes reality. As Nehemiah 2:18 says, “Let us rise up and build.”
