St. Andrew Methodist Church – Phase II

GFF has worked with St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano, Texas since 2015.  This project executes the Phase Two of the campus Master Plan design which prioritizes children’s ministry, students’ ministry and missions space.  Aesthetically, the goal was to blend the new additions into the overall feel of the campus while introducing new materials such as limestone and glass.  The current children’s ministry space was spread over two separated floors of the existing facility and not clearly identifiable on the campus.  The goal of this design was to create a dedicated children’s ministry entrance and experience on the south side of campus that clearly communicates that children are vital to the ministry of St. Andrew with a colorful, fun and secure space.  St. Andrew shares its children’s ministry space with the St. Andrew Preschool which enrolls children in their program five days a week.  To connect all the three floors vertically a new 1,000 SF children’s atrium entrance was designed as a beacon to the campus and community.  Housing a new elevator, the atrium uses suspended steel bridges to connect families with each level of the facility.  This new atrium facilitates a more efficient check-in process for the preschool and children’s ministry.  The main floor was renovated to provide an indoor play area with easy access of the main circulation path and visible from the atrium.  A 10,000 SF students addition uses similar massing and brick cladding to blend in with the rest of campus on the exterior while using stacked shipping containers on the interior as students break-out space flanking each of the newly created large group worship/recreation rooms.  A 1,500 SF addition was also added for St. Andrew’s Storehouse ministry on the north side of campus which provides food and clothing services to their neighbors.  This addition creates a welcoming experience for neighbors as they check-in and wait for donated food to be bagged.  Finally, a new covered canopy was added to provide a clearly identifiable church entrance from the north side of campus.