Enlarge the auditorium
Provide for future church growth beyond the capacity reached in the existing auditorium.
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Community · Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt Baptist Church
Developed design for a proposed extension to consolidate and upgrade the church's facilities for its ministries and the wider community.
The brief
Consolidating and upgrading facilities to better serve the local community
The Church wanted to continue and expand the services it provides to the local community.
To do that effectively, it wanted to consolidate and upgrade its facilities to meet current needs and future goals. The existing buildings no longer met all the needs of the many community groups and ministries using the church.
Community use
A facility serving a wide range of groups and ministries
The church facilities were already being used for worship, support services, youth activities, family programmes, community events and practical assistance.
- Creche
- Pre-school play groups
- Plunket group
- Empty Arms - loss of a child support group
- Divorce Care support group
- Parenting support
- Women's craft group
- Girls Brigade
- Intermediate age youth group
- Secondary School age youth group
- Special occasions - weddings and funerals
- Senior Indoor Bowls
- Community seminars
- Men's breakfast meetings
- Community outreach dinners
- Political information meetings / polling booth
- Chinese support group
- Food-bank support
- Counselling service
- Budgeting service
- Fundraising activities
Existing situation
Facilities that had reached their limits
The existing buildings had inadequate creche, dining and hospitality facilities, insufficient storage and no toilets for disabled persons. The auditorium also needed to grow, and the main entry needed to become more obvious, interesting and welcoming.
Auditorium growth
The main auditorium opened in 1974 with seating for approximately 240 people. A 1984 addition increased capacity to about 300. That capacity had been reached, so further enlargement was needed to provide for future growth.
Developed design
“A home base for an extended family”
The concept envisaged the extended facility as an open and welcoming door to the church and the wider community.
Improve hospitality facilities
Address inadequate creche, dining and hospitality accommodation.
Improve support facilities
Increase storage and provide toilets for disabled persons.
Create a welcoming entry
Make the main entry more obvious, interesting and welcoming to everyone arriving at the church.
“The design is outstanding in our opinion. This was a complex task to produce a building design which satisfies diverse needs of all the groups who use the buildings ... . The architect, Stephen, understood the functional requirements well and integrated them into a wonderfully attractive building form which makes the visual statements we were wanting to make.”
Plans
Reworking the church around expanded community spaces
The developed design reorganised the ground and mezzanine levels around the enlarged auditorium, hospitality areas, seminar and meeting spaces, offices and circulation.
Building form
Roof form, sections and elevations
The drawings develop the curved roof form and show how the proposed extension connects with the existing church buildings along Fergusson Drive and Milton Street.
Selected community work
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