Chase Oaks Church, Plano, Texas
Posted
12/1/2009
With more than
2,500 members, this dynamic,growing congregation needed to relocate
to a new site. The architect, SmithGroup/F&S provided a new
site master plan and designed the first phase of the church's
expanded campus,which included a 1,200-seat interim worship center
that will also serve as an atrium for the future worship center;
children's education center; youth facility for 250; site work; and
parking for 900 cars. The 92,200-square-foot (8,565- m2) building
sits on 27.7 acres (11 hectares).
The early 21st century modern architectural design features
brightly clad oval, triangular and rectangular shapes, multiple
roof elevations, multiple roof pitches and steel canopies. At the
most prominent corners, 40-foot- (12-m-)high curtainwalls
facilitate a visual connection between church members and the
community.
Built under heavy rainfall, the construction team was able to
minimize the disruption in the construction schedules by building
roadways to the project. The team utilized mud-pumping equipment to
dry out panel ditches and built small dams and channels to route
flowing water away from the building project.
Featuring
multiple roof elevations, roof pitches and steel canopies, the
Chase Oak project has an interesting design. Along with the various
multilevel roof elevations, the buildings' oval, triangular and
rectangular shapes create a unique change of landscape for the
city.
The Worship Center consists of a diamond polish floor with multiple
stain colors, a three dimensional acoustical panel system, platform
stage, motorized curtain track system, high-tech theatrical
lighting and a state-of-the-art audio and visual sound system. It
features a central oval greeting area with a decorative
stainless-steel cable handrail system, in addition to a coffee bar,
library, meeting room and orientation area.
The Youth Building is equipped with a mini-basketball court, gaming
stations, patio, wrap-around wood deck, full-size volleyball court,
offices, worship area and elevated mezzanine space with decorative
booths and a stainless-steel cable handrail system.
The Kid's Zone
features playful design elements and includes broad, spacious
hallways with a meandering floor pattern. The building contains
multiple classrooms customized with individual, child-friendly
themes. Several rooms have platform staging, theatrical lighting
and high-tech sound systems. The playground area is equipped with a
soft landing surface and modern playground equipment,surrounded by
a security fence.
The architectural design is an energetic expression of the church's
desire to push beyond a traditional church-both in form and
function. The facilities feature brightly cladforms that unite to
fulfill the owner's desire to create a contemporary-style facility
that doesn't resemble a typical church.
Interior exposed steel trusses and exposed steel roof overhangs
derive their aesthetic appeal from an honest expression of the
structural system of the building. Rather than hide the structure,
the design exposes, to the interior and exterior, the trusses' and
deck's simple and clean forms and function. In addition, the steel
canopies bring the expressed structure down to the human scale.
The project
features 40-foot-high clear anodize aluminum YCW 750 SplineTech
curtainwalls and clear aluminum solar fits from YKK AP America. The
solar fins are attached to the curtainwall to accentuate it and
contribute to glass and interior shading. The transparency created
by the prominent curtainwall system brings in natural light,
showcases activity and provides an open, welcoming place for
first-time visitors and returning members. The curtainwalls play an
important role in creating the desired image for the church and
providing the technical and cost-effective means to support large
walls of glazing.
General contractor: Medco, Dallas
Architect: SmithGroup/F&S, Dallas
Curtainwall/solar fins subcontractor: Southern Glass Inc.,
Plano
Curtainwall/solar fins: YKK AP America, Dublin, Ga.,
www.ykkap.com
www.ykkap.com