New facility to provide worship and recreational spaces as well as offices
Houston— July 24— Last month, River Pointe Church broke ground on their new Student Building. The 17,000 sf facility is the second building for the campus that was designed by Studio RED Architects.
“Pastor Patrick Kelley’s desire was to create a campus with numerous passive outdoor activities that will be used by the community,” said Trung Doan, Partner-in-Charge and Project Designer at Studio RED Architects. “The new Student Building will become the focal point of the campus’ master plan. It was important to the church to have a building that the youth would embrace as their own, which influenced the scale and design of the project.”
Through several creative planning sessions with church leadership, Studio RED set out to design a progressive and visionary building to serve their student ministry. What developed was a scheme that breaks away from how traditional churches serve their student needs. The building as a whole has been strategically designed to be inviting and un-forbidding in order to facilitate bringing individuals within the ministry space who may not otherwise be comfortable visiting a church. Space dedicated to interpersonal recreation and relationship-building is the second largest programmed space, second only to the worship spaces. These areas are arranged in a completely open, flexible space that links the building entrance to the worship spaces. Within this open space, Studio RED has helped the church develop areas that facilitate areas for students to feel comfortable and welcome. Pocket spaces, or a room within a room are used to enhance this concept. Students are free to use this space as a part of their social and recreational development while also building their faith and fellowship within the church family.
Studio Red’s relationship with River Pointe Church afforded the design team with an understanding of how churches are finding ways to reach youth in the 21st Century. Non-traditional social and recreational spaces are critical to a church’s mission, and Studio RED was able to apply this understanding to the development of River Pointe Church’s master plan and the design of the new Student Building.
June Groundbreaking
Construction on the new building got underway in June and is expected to be completed by early 2014. The completed facility will offer 17,000 sf that will house a dedicated worship space for middle school and high school age students, as well as a flexible ministry area for recreation and relational interaction. The building will also include support spaces and office areas for staff.
“The culture of River Pointe Church in the worship community is unique- as is Studio RED’s,” said Trung Doan. “We are very different from other Architectural firms. This chemistry has helped to forge a strong partnership with River Pointe Church.”
About Studio RED
Trung Doan is a Studio RED founding partner with over 20 years of experience and a unique passion for designing complex projects with a particular emphasis on assembly and entertainment facilities. He is consistently recognized for his achievements in design. Studio RED Architects is a Houston-based architectural firm with a reputation for design and excellence in entertainment, commercial and worship facilities. Notable projects include Lakewood Church, performing arts centers such as the Texas Southmost College Music Education Building, and renovation projects such as the LEED award-winning City of Houston Permitting Center.
Studio RED Architects is a Houston-based architectural firm with a reputation for design and excellence in entertainment, commercial and worship facilities. Notable projects include worship centers such as Lakewood Church, performing arts centers such as the Texas Southmost College Music Education Building, and renovation projects such as the LEED award-winning City of Houston Permitting Center.
