Title: Preston Road Church of Christ
Location of Proejct: Dallas, TX
Project Completion Date: 2019
Firm Name: Novus Architects

Short Description: Novus Architects’ was challenged by the Church leadership to come up with a creative solution to improve the worship experience for their congregation. Innovative solutions were employed including raising the ceiling height of the sanctuary, renovating the balcony, adding new entry doors and incorporating new technology and lighting.

Architect's Statement: Preston Road Church of Christ is located in the University City area of Dallas, Texas. Established in 1939, this church has undergone several updates and two renovations since the sanctuary was built in the 1950s. The primary goal of this renovation was to improve the sanctuary experience for the congregation. Through technology upgrades, mechanical systems replacement, improved lighting solutions and other interior space improvements, the wholistic upgrades to the Church will provide a better worship environment for years to come.

To create more ceiling height in the sanctuary, we evaluated whether the steel composite scissors trusses in the attic could be opened up and adapted. Working with Click Engineering, we determined that we could remove existing cross-bracing. Horizontal struts with channels were welded to the underside of the scissors truss on each side of the ridge, which satisfied the lateral bracing requirements. To provide the church with a warmer and more inviting space, we wrapped the steel trusses in a wood finish to soften their appearance. The cathedral pitch was also masked with an arch composed of wood trusses. This arch gave the space an iconic feel and yielded additional height, and served as a mounting location for new speakers and lighting.

The original balcony was dark and felt isolated from the rest of the space. We determined we could remove the in-room stairs, which allowed us to open up the entry side of the narthex to the main sanctuary, and also provided the balcony with significantly more ceiling height.

The project also included a completely new concept to enter the sanctuary. This new entry improved the visual connection and flow between it and the foyer. Adding glass elements in context to the existing architecture created a unique quality of light into the space and improved wayfinding for worshippers.

Throughout this project the team worked with Voight Creations to create a virtual fly-through and renderings. This helped the leadership team understand and adjust various elements during the design process. Through this tool, we successfully gained the full support of the congregation.