CHURCH CONSTRUCTION FORECAST : 2021 2 COVID-era church design trends that are likely to endure
As an architecture firm that works almost exclusively with churches and Christian schools , we must confess to allowing our collective joy to slip away every now and again during this rollercoaster ride of 2020 .
With 129 faith-based projects in active design or construction stages , we have walked along this path of uncertainty with many church leaders this year , offering our best counsel on how to move forward with sound stewardship .
So , what have we learned from 2020 that we can apply heading into 2021 ?
Don Mahoney While we know that the ways in which churches
# 1 : Repurposing commercial buildings Fueled by the changing spending habits of U . S . consumers and the growth of e-commerce , there has been a growing trend of retail brands closing their brick-and-mortar locations over the past 10 years . Due to the economic impact of COVID-19 , this trend has been greatly accelerated in 2020 . A record 9,500 stores went out of business in 2019 . That seemed massive — but as many as 25,000 are estimated to have shut down permanently in 2020 , according to Coresight Research . The shift toward the use of unconventional buildings for worship has been underway for years , but with more large retail spaces becoming available than ever before , we expect this trend to become even more prevalent . As the real estate market becomes flooded with these types of properties , they will offer churches some potentially great bargains compared to ground-up construction . For example , we recently completed the conversion of a Lowes Home Improvement Center for Light of Joy Church in Riverdale , Ga . Since the property had much of the infrastructure already in place — including the building envelope , utilities and parking — the facility was remodeled for a fraction of the cost of constructing a new building on vacant land . It also offers the church great visibility in a high-traffic area with accessibility from major roads . We have completed a number of similar projects in recent years that involved the conversion of grocery stores , commercial office buildings , industrial facilities , and even auto dealerships .
A former Lowes Home Improvement Center is the new home of Light of Joy Church in Riverdale , Ga .
# 2 : Financially sustainable church buildings We also believe that this uncertain time calls for a paradigm shift in how churches view their land and buildings . Church facilities have traditionally been among the most underused facilities in America , sitting empty throughout most of the week . We believe there are incredible opportunities for ministries to leverage these assets to both generate sustainable income for the ministry and to serve the needs of the local community — not just on Sundays , but seven days a week . In recent years , the idea of merging for-profit business on church property has become a hallmark of BGW projects . In many cases , these financially sustainable models can not only reduce existing overhead costs , but can also become a true catalyst for ministry growth and community impact . While there are a number of possibilities for non-profit models in churches , child care centers have proven to be the most natural fit for many ministries . We currently have more than a dozen church projects in development that incorporate a for-profit child care business . We have partnered with two leading child care providers that are involved in the design process from the earliest stages , providing valuable input on space requirements and business feasibility , as well as professional management solutions that can help ensure the success of the church ’ s new business .
CHURCH EXECUTIVE . COM | 15