Cornerstone Church
Project Details
Client
Cornerstone ChurchLocation
Caledonia, MIScale
68,000 square feet on 10 acresCompletion
2009Cornerstone Church is located in Caledonia, Michigan; Land-locked at current property, leaving no space for needed expansion; Plan to sell their current facility; Purchased new property to build a 64,000 square foot new building; The new facility is designed with a central gathering space in which various spaces feed from. This is the exact opposite of their current facility, where there is no central gathering space and undersized corridors lead to spaces.; Although the building will not be submitted as a LEED project, the design meets LEED Certification after review of the LEED Checklist. The administrative and associated fees for LEED Certification proved overwhelming given the budget constraints of the project.
Objective
The Cornerstone Church building committee asked for a new building to “feel more like a community center and less like a traditional church to make it more comfortable for un-churched seekers.” A master plan that is right sized to support the needs of the current congregation but also flexible enough to expand as ministry areas grow.
Outcome
The hub concept design has future program expansions in mind, simplifies way-finding, reveals program amenities and provides opportunities for people to linger. Care was taken to ensure multi-generational experiences that are active, conversational, social and reflective. It’s these interactions that serve to establish and build lasting relationships. A full service kitchen serves weekly full congregational dinners and supports the café in midweek activities. The two sided café can flex with the ministry need of the day. One side opening to the youth program space, the other to the main hub, allowing the church to use the full café on Sunday mornings, the hub side weekday mornings as a community coffee shop, and the youth side for smaller events.
Project highlights include: worship for 900, children’s ministry, youth ministry, commercial kitchen that serves a café, classrooms, prayer chapel, administration, and various support spaces. Worshipers can choose the level and style of participation. A central hub café provides ample opportunities to linger and fellowship.
