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St. Paul’s UMC – Children’s Renovation, Houston

ST. PAUL’S UMC – CHILDREN’S RENOVATION, HOUSTON

To create an exciting area for children the basement was completely renovated, including reconfiguring classrooms, adding a multi-purpose gathering space, and raising ceilings to the greatest extent possible. Curving walls and bright colors were utilized to create an appealing environment for the age group. The main stairway was enlarged, and the center hallway widened to improve flow and to increase connection and community. An operable glass wall gives teachers the flexibility to open the gathering space for larger functions that do not need acoustical separation. Restrooms and all other areas were designed to be barrier-free for all users. The result is a vibrant and welcoming new space for this important ministry for St. Paul’s.


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ST. PAUL’S UMC – CHILDREN’S RENOVATION, HOUSTON

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St. Agnes Academy, Houston

ST. AGNES ACADEMY, HOUSTON

The original historic mid-century building from the 1960s was outdated and needed a complete transformation to be brought up to modern office space and classroom standards. The building was completely renovated to provide improved security and ample space for prospective families when visiting. The front entry was updated and a large lobby added to support the school’s growth. The existing library was updated to support St. Agnes’ modern teaching style, including added collaboration space and an enlarged testing center. The building facade was restored and the entry plaza was renovated to make it more inviting and to meet accessibility requirements.


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ST. AGNES ACADEMY, HOUSTON

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City Rise, Bellaire

CITY RISE, BELLAIRE

CityRise Church Bellaire is a vibrant sister church of CityRise West University Baptist Church. Its Children, Youth and Adult facilities were badly in need of updating. The scope included total renovation of the three-story Education Building. The renovation provided first-floor space for a new week-day Pre-School, Nursery and Pre-School space for Infants and Children, and Sunday School space for first through fourth grade Children and for Adults. The renovation provided for the consolidation of Church Administration on the third floor. Because of serious water damage and deterioration the entire exterior of the building was replaced, with new insulated windows and new brick identical in size, color and pattern. The distressed concrete sunshades were cut off and capped with stainless steel to match the frames of the new windows. A new Covered Drop-off and Covered Walkway creates a fresh and inviting new “front door” from the church’s south parking lot.


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CITY RISE, BELLAIRE

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St. Thomas’ Episcopal School, Houston

ST. THOMAS’ EPISCOPAL SCHOOL, HOUSTON

Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School is a private, co-ed Episcopal institution serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. It is located in the Meyerland area of Houston. Saint Thomas’ was heavily impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The new, four-story academic building replaces four one-story buildings that were heavily damaged in the storm and provides additional space for growth. The large addition provides 80,000 S.F. of academic space over three floors for middle and high school grade levels, above a sixty-car garage. Located in the floodplain, the first floor of academic space is elevated six feet above the ground. Standing seam metal roofing, brick and cast stone cladding, arched windows and covered walkways harmonize the building with the architectural character and scale with the existing campus. A large terrace on the third floor allows high school students to meet and study outside, with views of the main courtyard and the Houston skyline beyond.


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ST. THOMAS’ EPISCOPAL SCHOOL, HOUSTON

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Ser-Ninos High School, Houston

Ser-Niños High School, Houston

SER-Niños Charter School has a mission to serve its Gulfton neighborhood of Houston by providing high quality instruction and enrichment facilities. Having worked successfully with MHP in a prior project to transform a Kroger grocery store into its Middle School, SER-Niños acquired a nearby abandoned clothing distribution warehouse to become its new High School. MHP used a portion of the warehouse’s 52,000 SF high-volume space to house the Gymnasium, Cafeteria and Student Center. A second-floor was inserted inro the remain1ng warehouse to provide additional classrooms and support spaces. A 20,000 S.F. addition accommodated the rest of the space requirements and provided a fresh inviting new front door. Exterior walls were clad with a variety of metal panels and warm masonry to match the architectural character of other nearby SER-Niños school buildings.


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SER-NIÑOS HIGH SCHOOL, HOUSTON

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Missouri City Branch, Fort Bend Library Phase 2, Missouri City

Missouri City Branch, Fort Bend Library Phase 2, Missouri City

An addition to our firm’s original building, Phase 2 is designed to create an iconic new image for the library to the Missouri City community. The three-story building contains reading areas, study rooms, and a computer lab. The third floor multi-purpose room opens out onto a balcony with prominent views to the City Hall and the new Missouri City Campus of Houston Community College.


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Missouri City Branch, Fort Bend Library Phase 2, Missouri City

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Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta

Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta

Located in Atlanta’s Buckhead area, Peachtree Presbyterian Church grew over time without a coherent master plan. Our firm created a new light-filled fellowship gathering space, which has become the “living room” for the church. A gracious curving stair, as well as an elevator, connect the gathering space to the sanctuary one level above. An underground tunnel connects the gathering space to “The Lodge”, a new two-story 36,000 sq ft youth and young adult center which is located across busy Roswell Road. The second floor of the youth center hosts Peachtree’s contemporary service in a 500-seat worship venue on Sundays. During the week, The Lodge Cafe provides a casual place to meet and grab a cup of coffee or a snack. A 360 car parking structure behind The Lodge provides much needed additional parking for the church.


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Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta

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Early Learning Center, First Presbyterian Church of Lufkin

Early Learning Center, First Presbyterian Church of Lufkin

First Presbyterian Church of Lufkin sought to establish the finest pre-school in the city and to attract young families to the church; with the help of a generous donor, it created the new Early Childhood Learning Center. The one-story building is set on the southern edge of a wooded site and adjacent to the original mid-century church designed by Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson. It consists of classrooms, offices, a spacious indoor play room, and expansive exterior decks and playgrounds. It maintains the intimate scale and simple forms of the original buildings by clustering shed roof forms on either side of a lower flat roofed corridor. The canted indoor play room opens to views of a grove of existing trees and a new playground to the south. On the side, the canted form provides a gracious and inviting front door to the school. The new building adopts the existing material palette of masonry, wood veneer, and heavy timber. The broad wood framed overhangs and delicate covered walkways connect the campus together while matching the structural rhythm and scale set by the original buildings.


Download Project PDF

Early Learning Center, First Presbyterian Church of Lufkin

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Sugar Creek Baptist Church, Sugar Land

Sugar Creek Baptist Church, Sugar Land

A major goal in planning the 115,000 sq ft children’s building/gymnasium addition was to create a “wow” space that conveyed the church’s commitment to children’s ministry. A colorful curving slide marks the entry into the first floor Pre-K classrooms. A café and bookstore adjoin a 10,000 sq ft gathering space that has become the heart of the campus. A 10,700 sq ft gymnasium is designed for performances and informal worship and can be subdivided to create additional classroom space.


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Sugar Creek Baptist Church, Sugar Land

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First Methodist Houston, Houston

First Methodist Houston, Houston

First Methodist Houston has been a Houston landmark since its construction in 1910. With the dynamic growth of Houston’s Midtown, the church embarked on a long-range plan with our firm to make its historic building more inviting, especially to families with children and to youth. The first phase of that plan provides an accessible path to the sanctuary and created a generous gathering area that encourages fellowship before and after services and. The renovated chapel draws on the historic qualities of the sanctuary. The renovated pre-school area provides a vibrant, fun space for young children. Other elements of the plan include a columbarium and new facilities for the church’s outreach to the homeless.


Download Project PDF

First Methodist Houston, Houston

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St. Theresa Catholic Church and School, Houston

St. Theresa Catholic Church and School, Houston

Our master plan for St. Theresa Catholic Church provides a gracious new connection between the church and the rest of the parish campus while solving major security and flow problems that have plagued it. The plan moves the gymnasium from the original church fellowship hall to the larger parish community center and restores the fellowship hall to its original function. The resulting plan places all church and school functions in contiguous zones and presents a more inviting image to the community.


Download Project PDF

St. Theresa Catholic Church and School, Houston

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First Presbyterian Church, Dallas

First Presbyterian Church Dallas

This historic church has served the downtown Dallas community since 1856, from the day after Dallas was incorporated as a city. Several additions were added as the church grew over time, each at a different floor level. Much of the church was inaccessible to older members who were unable to navigate the numerous stairs. The original Neo-Classical church and its Art Deco fellowship hall were designed to enter from the street, but when a six-level parking garage was added, the main entry became through the parking garage. Our firm provided a new 10,000 sq ft welcome center that created an inviting front door and a fresh new image for the church. In addition, 40,000 sq ft of existing space were gutted to create direct, gracious, and accessible paths to all parts of the campus. We transformed a dark and depressing gym into a light-filled activity space with a roof deck overlooking the city, and adjacent dull and institutional youth classrooms into a vibrant new youth center.


Download Project PDF

First Presbyterian Church Dallas

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Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church Columbarium, Houston

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church Columbarium, Houston

The new columbarium and prayer garden for Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church have activated the most beautiful but most unused area of the campus. The columbarium respects the architecture of the 1972 Sanctuary, designed by Houston architects MacKie & Kamrath. The rhythm of the niche walls and the shade trellises echoes the sanctuary detailing. The gates and fencing similarly respond to the design of the sanctuary. Openings in the walls of the columbarium frame views to the broad front lawn of the church while the fountain provides gentle masking for the street noise. Stained glass panels in the fountain wall visually tie the prayer garden to the columbarium.


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Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church Columbarium, Houston

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Highland Park United Methodist Church, Dallas

Highland Park United Methodist Church, Dallas

The church is located at the entrance to Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Our firm’s addition and renovations blend seamlessly with the original’s 1926 Gothic architecture. The 120,000 sq ft addition and 80,000 sq ft renovation provided additional space and addressed numerous flow and accessibility issues. By lowering the floor of the classroom building to the level of the Sanctuary in a dramatic gesture, and adding an elevator and wide gracious steps, we were able to replace the steep five-foot wide stairway, small foyer, and a dark double loaded corridor that formerly connected the sanctuary to the adjacent classroom/administration building. Offices were relocated to an upper floor, to allow for a generous new fellowship gathering space overlooking the adjacent courtyard. In addition the project provided new children’s, youth, and adult classrooms; a new reception hall and kitchen; and a new “front door” to the church. The new 800-seat amphitheater provides a home for the church’s contemporary worship service and a venue for numerous community events.


Download Project PDF

Highland Park United Methodist Church, Dallas

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ST. PAUL’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH BANKSTON GREEN, HOUSTON

ST. PAUL’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH BANKSTON GREEN, HOUSTON

Located in the heart of the Museum District, the front yard of the historic 1929 Gothic Sanctuary Building was underutilized and uninviting. The Bankston Green project, named after the longest serving Senior Pastor in the church’s history, Dr. James L. Bankston, completely reworked this area to provide an inviting prayer garden around a pre-existing Labyrinth. The project won a 2014 Keep Houston Beautiful Landmark Award and is welcoming to members and the general public alike, serving as a new “door” to the church. Before the project, it was rare to see more than one individual using the space. Now, one sees large numbers of people gathering, praying and walking the labyrinth. The project is the second phase of our firm’s long range Master Plan for the campus.


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ST. PAUL’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH BANKSTON GREEN, HOUSTON

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St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Houston

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Houston

The 10,000 sq ft addition and 25,000 sq ft renovation of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is the first phase of a long range Master Plan developed by our firm in 2008. The work provides for expansion and enhancement of St. Paul’s School and Sunday School space and has transformed a dark, outdated building into a light, vibrant, and new facility that is especially inviting to children. The building provides a fresh contrast to the historic Gothic sanctuary and has been certified LEED Silver. The scope of work included renovation of the fellowship hall, a new terrace overlooking Main Street, restoring exterior stone, and replacing existing windows with new energy efficient windows.


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St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Houston

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First Presbyterian Church, Houston

First Presbyterian Church, Houston

The Lancaster Center addition provided an 85,000 sq ft activity center and classroom building for First Presbyterian Church and a new middle school for The Presbyterian School. The great hall converts from a gymnasium into an 1,100-seat amphitheater that was designed for contemporary worship, drama, concerts, conferences, and school assemblies. The adjacent Palm Court gathering area houses a coffee shop. Other components include a new welcome center, a mini-gym, a fitness center, a youth center, and classrooms.


Download Project PDF

First Presbyterian Church, Houston

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South Main Baptist Church, Houston

South Main Baptist Church, Houston

Located in Houston’s developing Midtown, the church sought to update its facilities and present a more visible and welcoming “front door” to the community. The new Welcome Center forms a transition in style between the beautiful, richly detailed Romanesque sanctuary and the spare, flat roofed education buildings. A new glass walkway above the existing cloister connects second floor education spaces to the sanctuary, also located on the second level. Renovation of existing buildings created a more light-filled, appealing environment. A second phase of work renovated the pre-school and children’s space to create more inviting and vibrant spaces that would be attractive to the young families the church sought to attract. The renovation of the adult space created a series of gathering spaces that promote community building.


Download Project PDF

South Main Baptist Church, Houston

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First Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head Island

First Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head Island

First Presbyterian Church sought to create a fellowship gathering space that would strengthen the sense of community among members of the congregation and offer an inviting space in which to welcome visitors. The new welcome center serves that role and enhances the church’s outreach to the community which includes a variety of events such as concerts by the Hilton Head Island Symphony. The welcome center creates a gracious space for gathering and intermission for such events. (Our firm served as Design Architect for the project).


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First Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head Island

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Providence Classical School, Spring

Providence Classical School, Spring

Our master plan conceived of the school as a a series of buildings grouped around courtyards with a lake as its focal point. A curving walkway creates a cross-campus “main street” that ties the whole composition together, with an intentional interplay of indoor and outdoor spaces. The massing of the classroom buildings allows for several outdoor classrooms. A covered terrace with views out to the lake creates an inviting place to eat lunch. The one-story lower school is located at the front of the campus next to the library and administrative offices. The middle and upper school buildings flank the central quad, with the chapel at one end and the lake at the other. The competition gymnasium is located to the rear of the campus adjacent to the playing fields, with a smaller gymnasium/multi-purpose room off the central quadrangle and adjacent to the library. Across the central quad from this is the cafeteria. A performing arts center is planned adjacent to the competition gymnasium.


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Providence Classical School, Spring

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Houston Christian High School, Houston

Houston Christian High School, Houston

Houston Christian High School’s 45-acre campus is designed to create a college-like atmosphere, with individual buildings built around a cruciform courtyard connected by cloistered walkways. In the center, a “town square” is created by the library, fine arts center, student center, and administration. Small outdoor seating groups adjacent to the cloistered walkways provide opportunities for small group meetings or casual conversations. (Merriman Holt Architects was the Design Architect in association with Bay Architects for the academic quadrangle and gymnasium. Merriman Holt Architects was the Architect for three subsequent phases of work: the fine arts center, the auxiliary gymnasium and the 600-seat chapel).


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Houston Christian High School, HOUSTON

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Early Learning Center, First Presbyterian Church of Lufkin

Early Learning Center, First Presbyterian Church of Lufkin

First Presbyterian Church of Lufkin sought to establish the finest pre-school in the city and to attract young families to the church; with the help of a generous donor, it created the new Early Childhood Learning Center. The one-story building is set on the southern edge of a wooded site and adjacent to the original mid-century church designed by Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson. It consists of classrooms, offices, a spacious indoor play room, and expansive exterior decks and playgrounds. It maintains the intimate scale and simple forms of the original buildings by clustering shed roof forms on either side of a lower flat roofed corridor. The canted indoor play room opens to views of a grove of existing trees and a new playground to the south. On the side, the canted form provides a gracious and inviting front door to the school. The new building adopts the existing material palette of masonry, wood veneer, and heavy timber. The broad wood framed overhangs and delicate covered walkways connect the campus together while matching the structural rhythm and scale set by the original buildings.


Download Project PDF

Early Learning Center, First Presbyterian Church of Lufkin

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SER-Niños Charter Middle School, Houston

SER-Niños Charter Middle School, Houston

When a 62,000 sq ft Kroger Store adjacent to the SER-Niños Elementary School closed, the school purchased the building to serve as a home for its middle school, which at that time was located in temporary buildings. Our firm re-clad the west end of the building with metal panels to relate to the existing campus building and create an inviting new entry. We made extensive use of skylights to bring natural light into the building and bright colors to compensate for the building’s lack of windows. Large interior windows bring this borrowed natural light into the classrooms. Outside, large landscaped islands have transformed the barren parking lot.


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SER-Niños Charter Middle School, Houston

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St. Theresa Catholic Church and School, Houston

St. Theresa Catholic Church and School, Houston

Our master plan for St. Theresa Catholic Church provides a gracious new connection between the church and the rest of the parish campus while solving major security and flow problems that have plagued it. The plan moves the gymnasium from the original church fellowship hall to the larger parish community center and restores the fellowship hall to its original function. The resulting plan places all church and school functions in contiguous zones and presents a more inviting image to the community.


Download Project PDF

St. Theresa Catholic Church and School, Houston

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Highland Park United Methodist Church, Dallas

Highland Park United Methodist Church, Dallas

The church is located at the entrance to Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Our firm’s addition and renovations blend seamlessly with the original’s 1926 Gothic architecture. The 120,000 sq ft addition and 80,000 sq ft renovation provided additional space and addressed numerous flow and accessibility issues. By lowering the floor of the classroom building to the level of the Sanctuary in a dramatic gesture, and adding an elevator and wide gracious steps, we were able to replace the steep five-foot wide stairway, small foyer, and a dark double loaded corridor that formerly connected the sanctuary to the adjacent classroom/administration building. Offices were relocated to an upper floor, to allow for a generous new fellowship gathering space overlooking the adjacent courtyard. In addition the project provided new children’s, youth, and adult classrooms; a new reception hall and kitchen; and a new “front door” to the church. The new 800-seat amphitheater provides a home for the church’s contemporary worship service and a venue for numerous community events.


Download Project PDF

Highland Park United Methodist Church, Dallas

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First Methodist Houston, Houston

First Methodist Houston, Houston

First Methodist Houston has been a Houston landmark since its construction in 1910. With the dynamic growth of Houston’s Midtown, the church embarked on a long-range plan with our firm to make its historic building more inviting, especially to families with children and to youth. The first phase of that plan provides an accessible path to the sanctuary and created a generous gathering area that encourages fellowship before and after services and. The renovated chapel draws on the historic qualities of the sanctuary. The renovated pre-school area provides a vibrant, fun space for young children. Other elements of the plan include a columbarium and new facilities for the church’s outreach to the homeless.


Download Project PDF

First Methodist Houston, Houston

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Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta

Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta

Located in Atlanta’s Buckhead area, Peachtree Presbyterian Church grew over time without a coherent master plan. Our firm created a new light-filled fellowship gathering space, which has become the “living room” for the church. A gracious curving stair, as well as an elevator, connect the gathering space to the sanctuary one level above. An underground tunnel connects the gathering space to “The Lodge”, a new two-story 36,000 sq ft youth and young adult center which is located across busy Roswell Road. The second floor of the youth center hosts Peachtree’s contemporary service in a 500-seat worship venue on Sundays. During the week, The Lodge Cafe provides a casual place to meet and grab a cup of coffee or a snack. A 360 car parking structure behind The Lodge provides much needed additional parking for the church.


Download Project PDF

Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta

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First Presbyterian Church, Dallas

First Presbyterian Church, Dallas

This historic church has served the downtown Dallas community since 1856, from the day after Dallas was incorporated as a city. Several additions were added as the church grew over time, each at a different floor level. Much of the church was inaccessible to older members who were unable to navigate the numerous stairs. The original Neo-Classical church and its Art Deco fellowship hall were designed to enter from the street, but when a six-level parking garage was added, the main entry became through the parking garage. Our firm provided a new 10,000 sq ft welcome center that created an inviting front door and a fresh new image for the church. In addition, 40,000 sq ft of existing space were gutted to create direct, gracious, and accessible paths to all parts of the campus. We transformed a dark and depressing gym into a light-filled activity space with a roof deck overlooking the city, and adjacent dull and institutional youth classrooms into a vibrant new youth center.


Download Project PDF

First Presbyterian Church, Dallas

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First Presbyterian Church, Houston

First Presbyterian Church, Houston

The Lancaster Center addition provided an 85,000 sq ft activity center and classroom building for First Presbyterian Church and a new middle school for The Presbyterian School. The great hall converts from a gymnasium into an 1,100-seat amphitheater that was designed for contemporary worship, drama, concerts, conferences, and school assemblies. The adjacent Palm Court gathering area houses a coffee shop. Other components include a new welcome center, a mini-gym, a fitness center, a youth center, and classrooms.


Download Project PDF

First Presbyterian Church, Houston

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South Main Baptist Church, Houston

South Main Baptist Church, Houston

Located in Houston’s developing Midtown, the church sought to update its facilities and present a more visible and welcoming “front door” to the community. The new Welcome Center forms a transition in style between the beautiful, richly detailed Romanesque sanctuary and the spare, flat roofed education buildings. A new glass walkway above the existing cloister connects second floor education spaces to the sanctuary, also located on the second level. Renovation of existing buildings created a more light-filled, appealing environment. A second phase of work renovated the pre-school and children’s space to create more inviting and vibrant spaces that would be attractive to the young families the church sought to attract. The renovation of the adult space created a series of gathering spaces that promote community building.


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South Main Baptist Church, Houston

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Houston Plating & Coatings, Houston

Houston Plating & Coatings, Houston

The 18,000 sq ft Headquarters Building is the nerve center for all of Houston Plating & Coatings’ operations. The design enabled the consolidation of executive, quality control, administrative, sales, and support services for the company’s plants in South Houston, Humble, Tyler, and in Scott, Louisiana.


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Houston Plating & Coatings, Houston

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Houston Racquet Club, Houston

Houston Racquet Club, Houston

The resort pool complex, fitness building, teen facilities and parking lot create a new “front door” to the club from the south side and maximize the club’s beautiful wooded site. The new facilities have rejuvenated the club and sparked a sharp rise in membership. The fitness building includes lockers, exercise rooms, and a casual dining room.


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Houston Racquet Club, Houston

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Tomball Public Works Building, Tomball

Tomball Public Works Building, Tomball

The Public Works Building creates a fresh new image for the City of Tomball Public Works Department while providing enlarged and enhanced facilities for administrative services. The building was planned from the beginning using sustainable design principles. For example, to minimize heating and cooling costs, the building plan minimizes the building envelope. Sunshades minimize direct sun infiltration while bouncing light onto the interior ceilings to maximize natural lighting.


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Tomball Public Works Building, Tomball

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Missouri City Branch, Fort Bend Library, Missouri City

Missouri City Branch, Fort Bend Library, Missouri City

The library is located in the Missouri City Civic Center, across the street from the city’s Recreation Center. The walls of the library extend across the road to link the library with the rest of the Center and create “portals” which define the edge of a new park. They dramatically increase the image of the library to the community.


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Missouri City Branch, Fort Bend Library, Missouri City

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Providence Classical School, Spring

Providence Classical School, Spring

Our master plan conceived of the school as a a series of buildings grouped around courtyards with a lake as its focal point. A curving walkway creates a cross-campus “main street” that ties the whole composition together, with an intentional interplay of indoor and outdoor spaces. The massing of the classroom buildings allows for several outdoor classrooms. A covered terrace with views out to the lake creates an inviting place to eat lunch. The one-story lower school is located at the front of the campus next to the library and administrative offices. The middle and upper school buildings flank the central quad, with the chapel at one end and the lake at the other. The competition gymnasium is located to the rear of the campus adjacent to the playing fields, with a smaller gymnasium/multi-purpose room off the central quadrangle and adjacent to the library. Across the central quad from this is the cafeteria. A performing arts center is planned adjacent to the competition gymnasium.


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Providence Classical School, Spring

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Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church, Katy

Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church, Katy

Epiphany Catholic Church was commissioned by the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston to establish a new Catholic day school in Katy. Our firm developed a master plan to study the viability of the school, and to address building issues that had arisen over the parish’s twenty-five years of growth. The master plan adds a new two-story classroom building to replace outdated single-story education buildings. The new classroom building, in addition to renovations within the existing faith formation building, will accommodate a new day school for over eight-hundred children. The plan also envisioned a new grand plaza to mark the entrance to the parish campus from the south. It would be bordered by the school on the west, a new parish hall on the north, and a new entrance to the existing church on the east. The new church entrance, in the form of a tower, will serve to draw parishioners from the south parking lot into the proper entrance of the narthex, instead of the over-used side entrance.


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Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church, Katy

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Concordia Lutheran High School, Tomball

Concordia Lutheran High School, Tomball

The new academic wing, commons and pavilion are the first phase of our firm’s master plan for Concordia Lutheran High School. The new academic wing creates the fresh and inviting image to the community that the school sought to project. The commons provides a versatile space for collaborative learning, large group meetings, receptions and special events. The pavilion, an adjacent covered “porch” to the commons, creates a shaded outdoor area for dining and special events, activating a formerly unused outdoor space. Future phases will include a new fine arts center, athletic center expansion, new field house and new athletic fields.


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Concordia Lutheran High School, Tomball

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St. Theresa Catholic Church and School, Houston

St. Theresa Catholic Church

Our master plan for St. Theresa Catholic Church provides a gracious new connection between the church and the rest of the parish campus while solving major security and flow problems that have plagued it. The plan moves the gymnasium from the original church fellowship hall to the larger parish community center and restores the fellowship hall to its original function. The resulting plan places all church and school functions in contiguous zones and presents a more inviting image to the community.


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St. Theresa Catholic Church

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Salem Lutheran Church, Tomball

Salem Lutheran Church, Tomball

Salem Lutheran Church was founded in 1851 and now has a campus with over 100 acres in Northwest Harris County. Salem Lutheran School, founded in 1852 with a one room schoolhouse, now has 600 students from Early Childhood to 8th grade. The Master plan has the overarching goal of providing facilities to support ministry while continuing the historical legacy and traditions of the church. In the church’s words, “Salem Lutheran Church is a movement of people who are pursuing life based on the reality of Jesus more and more every day, and are working together to expand its impact in our homes, communities, and around the world … one life at a time.” To work towards this Mission, the Master Plan takes a comprehensive and fresh look at the entire campus and calls for a multi-phased plan. Improvements include a new K-8th grade school building; new athletic fields and support spaces; a family pool area; expanded community center; new fellowship hall; expanded Narthex for space to gather after services; and a new chapel. The plan includes abundant green spaces between buildings, continuing the beautiful natural setting throughout the campus. Gracious pathways connect buildings and spaces and create an intuitive way to move about the large campus.


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Salem Lutheran Church, Tomball

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St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Houston

St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Houston

St. Nicholas Catholic Church is the oldest Black Catholic church in Houston, having been founded in 1876. It is currently the home parish for the historical St. Nicholas community, the Houston East African Community, and the Houston Cameroonian Community. St. Nicholas was looking for a way to expand and improve their facilities to accommodate these growing communities and tie them together into one parish family. The current church building, a gorgeous red brick building landmarked by the Texas Historical Commission, dates from 1924 and was in need of repairs. The other buildings on the parish campus had all long exceeded their useful life and were in need of replacement. Our master plan provides for repairing the church exterior, refreshing the interior, and providing for more seating and a renovated sanctuary. It also replaces the current parish hall, education, and administration buildings with a single building integrating these functions while at the same time providing more capacity for both parish activities and for teaching — as well as opening up land for much needed on-site parking.


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St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Houston

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Chapelwood United Methodist Church, Houston

Chapelwood United Methodist Church, Houston

Chapelwood United Methodist Church had grown from being a small “Chapel in the Woods” to becoming a major church with over 5,000 members. Over time, however, the church had constructed various additions without a coherent master plan, resulting in a campus plan that was confusing and disorienting to visitors and members alike. Our Master Plan of 1997 tied the campus together with a “main street” corridor that wove together the disparate parts of the campus. The plan also replaced outdated wood-framed single-story classroom buildings with new two-story buildings. The updated 2008 Master Plan provided for a new youth center, children’s building and expanded space for the church’s special needs ministry.


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Chapelwood United Methodist Church, Houston

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