When looking at statistics to understand how many people
attend church and how many religious congregations there are, the Gallup Polls
states 40% or roughly 98 million people attend church on a regular basis and
there are roughly 350,000 congregations in the US.
Whether you practice Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam,
Buddism or any other religion, going to your specific place of worship has become
a ritual. These places of worship provide
different purposes for different people
including: guidance, inspiration,
calmness and relaxation. Buildings that serve as religious spaces are
designed to have a connection to the realm of God.
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| SOURCE: FREE DIGITAL PHOTOS ARTHUR84 |
The interior space within the architectural shell
encompasses several key components making a space complete. For example, in addition to the primary
sanctuary spaces within churches, there are secondary spaces used for teaching
and social functions. With keeping design
in mind, there are several key design elements needed to carefully create the religious
masterpiece.
Here are the top 4
key design elements:
1-
Scale: Places
of worship are built “to be enduring icons of the civilization for which they
stood, and landmarks for years to come” (Roberts, 2004). Scale contributes to massively high ceilings i.e.
as if to be reaching towards God and the added effect of awe.
2-
Lighting is
another key element to design because it serves as a connection between humans
and deities (Hamilton & Watkins, 2009). Consideration should be placed on brightness
and darkness for contrast. Also, layers
of lighting should be paired together in order to provide different levels of
illuminations. This includes accent, ambient,
decorative, task and natural lighting. (Read more about this in our previous
blog on lighting).
3-
Acoustics:
The acoustical performance of a
congregational place is critical in providing the message clearly whether you
are sitting in the front row or the last seat in the back. For
example, the geometrical configuration should be considered because it impacts
how the Pastor sounds when speaking versus how the choir sounds when they are
singing.
4- Materials: Because of scale and acoustics, designers and
builders have to keep in mind the specific materials to be used when designing
the space.
At NKB Design and Management, we look forward to working
with your place of worship in the areas of Northern Virginia and DC. Please let us know how we may be able to
assist you.
Sources- Evidence
Based Design for Multiple Building Types, Gallup Poll, Hartford Institute
of Religion Research
