New Life Covenant Church was designed to provide much needed space for the quickly growing congregation in the urban setting of the Humboldt Park community of Chicago. With Reverend Wilfredo De Jesus’ (Pastor Choco) vision that “nobody is beyond the grace of God,” the church began to look for a place to house its growing congregation.
How do we create a new, vibrant church in an existing highly-industrialized neighborhood that connects with the culture of the commuity?
An open and transparent neighborhood-embracing exterior that welcomes and embraces everyone in the community.
- 27,000 s.f.
- 1,200 seat auditorium
- Large gathering area
- Classrooms
- Sustainable features
- Chicago Good Neighbor Awards Winner 2014
BLDD worked closely with the City of Chicago, the Department of Housing and Economic Development as well as the neighborhood and its Aldermen to bring the facility to life quickly for the community, to act as a ray of hope within the community.
Willow Crystal Lake started with a vision for a space that could reach out to the community and serve as many people as possible. We helped them create a master plan that is a direct reflection of the core convictions and mission of the church. The open and inviting design is an intentional feature that connects the building to the site and the entire community. The goal of Phase 1 was to create a new worship center and then use as much of the existing structure for all of the other ministry spaces.
Hope Church is a 41,882 g.s.f. multi-functional worship facility which includes a 650-seat auditorium that uses drama, multi-media, and contemporary music to deliver a dynamic message. A 10,000 s.f. gym and new classrooms offer spaces for the church's youth and children ministries. Additionally, a centralized office and fellowship spaces provide a place to gather information and meet and greet visitors. This phase 1 project is part of a 110,000 s.f. master plan for the 40-acre site.
St. Paul’s Church moved into an old clothing distribution center and remodeled a portion of the building to include their sanctuary and Christian education spaces. Blessed with member growth and looking to reach more of the community, St. Paul’s wanted designs for the facade that would better represent them as a church from the exterior. The design solution created a main entrance, warmed up the facade and brought the scale down to feel more welcoming.