Davisville Church in Southampton, Pennsylvania, was originally constructed in the late 1800s. Over the years, the church had grown, with new additions built—sometimes haphazardly—around the campus. 
  
Eventually, the church realized its facilities were inaccessible for older members and those with ambulatory issues, and it could be unattractive and confusing to visitors. The four-story church building had entrances on the first and third levels. Most people entered at the rear of the building and went up a steep ramp to get to the sanctuary. 
  
"It was very unfriendly for anyone with ambulatory problems," noted Todd R. Phillippi, NCARB, principal with WPH-Architects for Ministry, the firm chosen to design the addition and renovation project.
  
In addition to the physical accessibility challenges the building presented, there were also other issues. There were very few common areas to promote fellowship before or after services, limiting interaction between members and newcomers.
  
Also, the average visitors to the church are young families and single mothers with children, yet the children's department was tucked away in an older part of the building, separated by a breezeway.
  
"It was an old building renovated for children, and it looked like an old building renovated for children," Phillippi said, noting that this part of the facility didn't lend confidence to parents leaving their children while they attended services in the sanctuary.
  
The church knew these issues were detriments for both older church members and newcomers and detracted from the worship experience. They had several goals in mind for this addition and renovation project.

The first was to make all areas of the church more accessible to those with disabilities. The second was to improve the children's facilities and bring them closer to the main hub of the church. A third goal was to create a central entrance and improve navigation throughout the facility.  Finally, the church wanted to create new common areas to promote fellowship before and after church services and small group meetings.
 
To solve these issues, a new four-story addition was created to match the four stories of the original building. This area became the main entrance to the church, with a two-story, open fellowship area with a bookstore, café and lounge just inside its doors. 
  
Phillippi said some older church members questioned the need for the bookstore and café, saying they were too "commercial" for their church. It has been fun, he said, to see some of these same individuals now enjoying these areas and wondering why they weren't added sooner.
  
An elevator was installed near the main entrance to make access to all floors easier for all those attending. A new kitchen was added next to the café, and church offices were moved to a more central location in this new building. An open stairway leads easily to the sanctuary level, improving the flow of the facility.
  
The children's area was moved to the sanctuary level, which now includes a parents' vestibule. Instead of carpeting, which is a popular choice in children's nursery areas, padded, resilient flooring was installed. Not only is it soft for children just learning to walk, but it is also more hygienic than carpeting. It is easy to clean, and area rugs used throughout can be taken out and sanitized by a cleaning service on a regular basis. One-way glass was installed in the nursery rooms, so parents can look in and see what their children are doing at any time.
  
"This gives parents a real sense of security," noted Phillippi.
   
Many adult Sunday School classrooms are located on the church's fourth floor, and an adult lounge was added as a fellowship hub in this area.
    
For the exterior of the new addition, brick was used on the building's façade to match the existing building. Economy vinyl siding was installed on the sides and back. A Mansard roof, traditional portico and steeple add attractive elements to the building's entrance. While the exterior of the building is quite traditional, the interior provides a contrast, with a bright, colorful palette adding a homey and more contemporary feel. 
  
The biggest challenge in this project was working with a four-story facility and developing a design that is easy to navigate. Creating the central entrance on a middle level, adding the elevator and the open stairways, as well as bringing the nursery area closer in, were all ways of overcoming this challenge. 
  
Because the township where the church is located is prone to flooding, strict rules are in place regarding storm water management. To meet the requirements, two large storm water facilities were built beneath the parking areas to aid in water management, retention and infiltration. Water is held in these facilities during a storm and then percolated down into the ground. It is a process popular in many "green" building projects and works well for this church.
  
For those considering a similar building project, Phillippi suggests that they go into the process with patience and open minds.
  
"Because of all the different parameters and constraints involved in any project, it's best to be open to something unconventional," he said. "It's always more challenging to do an addition/expansion, rather than starting from scratch, so patience is a necessity."

For more than 20 years, WPH - Architects for Ministry, www.ChurchArchitects.com, has been devoted exclusively to serving churches and Christian ministries, providing master planning, architecture, interior design and construction phase services.  

In a Nutshell

Church: Davisville Church
Location: Southampton, Pennsylvania
Project Goal: Make church handicap accessible, add fellowship areas, upgrade nursery facilities, and improve flow of church layout
Size: 36,000 square feet of new construction; 36,000 square feet of renovations
Cost: Just under $4 million, including approximately $600,000 in site work
Construction Time: 12 months
Challenge: Creating new and renovated space that would flow with the existing four-story church building, some of which was constructed in the late 1800s
Solution: Building an entrance on a middle level and creating open stairways and common areas to make the facility simple to navigate