An Introduction
Adaptive reuse is a growing trend in architecture and urban development, offering a sustainable solution for repurposing existing buildings. Renovating existing structures has become increasingly popular in dense urban areas, providing benefits that new construction often cannot. One intriguing aspect of this trend is converting religious spaces into various new uses. These conversions not only highlight the cultural importance of revitalizing churches but also reveal their potential for creative and contemporary uses.
In this blog we will break down the growing trend of converting sacred worship spaces into new uses, and how these unique spaces can provide new insight into a buildings historical past. We will also explore a case study of a successful conversion project completed by Desmone; Matthews Lofts in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is Adaptive Reuse + Why Churches?
Adaptive reuse involves repurposing old buildings for new uses while preserving their historical and architectural significance. While not all existing buildings undergoing a change of use renovation will have historical significance, similar concepts and ideas can be drawn across all existing building conversions.
Churches are unique candidates for adaptive reuse due to their distinctive architectural features, such as stained-glass windows, vaulted ceilings, intricate woodwork, and ample volumes of space. These various elements can be incorporated into a variety of uses which can help to reduce costs while providing impactful and unique design solutions. Beyond the internal aspects of the buildings themselves, we find that often times these structures have important ties to the neighborhoods in which they are located. Preserving these church buildings helps maintain the historical and cultural fabric of our communities.
Often, churches become available for reuse due to declining congregations, changes in urban planning, or the need for new types of spaces in growing cities. Rarely is a putting a new religious worship use into an existing church a feasible option. As a result, these buildings often sit vacant for years with no practical way to use them for what they were intended. As Architects, we are continually pushing the envelope on how to maximize an existing buildings potential, and while converting sacred worship spaces can be challenging, the rewards are often substantial.
Adaptive reuse projects allow us to breathe new life into older structures so that we can enjoy their beauty and functionality in contemporary contexts. – Jared Korchok, AIA
Benefits of Converting Church Spaces
Converting vacant church spaces to accommodate new programs offers numerous benefits to those involved. These projects can spark revitalization in communities by creating new social, cultural, or commercial spaces. Environmentally, adaptive reuse reduces the need for new construction materials, lowering the carbon footprint associated with building new structures. Specifically for those pursuing LEED goals in a project, reuse of existing structures provides significant points towards the required minimum scoring for LEED certification(s). In most cases these structures are also likely able to pursue historical tax credit incentives which can make them more financially viable as well. Though these programs require a detailed historical analysis and design process, these sort of incentives can be very attractive to developers looking to breathe new life into a space.
Matthew’s Lofts – Existing Nave + Construction Progress of New Floor Levels
Religious spaces also have a myriad of unique elements within them, that if utilized properly into a project, can provide high quality design features that are difficult to replicate. As seen in the Matthews Lofts case study, various Architecture styles, stained glass windows, open nave and aisle spaces, large volumes, vaulted ceilings, altars, towers, lofts, pointed arch window frames, ample natural light, and general open footprints are all elements within a sacred space that can be reutilized to benefit the project.
Matthew’s Lofts – Spiral Stair Tower Access + Bell Tower Interior
Churches like St. Matthews contained many of these various elements, and those elements were able to be creatively repurposed into the design. These design features often vary greatly from space to space, but all worship spaces inherently contain some (if not all) of these various elements. Church conversion projects are most successful when there is a seamless incorporation of historical identity and elements with a new and contemporary program that supports them.
Challenges and Solutions
Converting church spaces is not without challenges however. City zoning laws, existing structural conditions, community opposition and historical preservation can pose significant hurdles during conception and planning of this type of project. Often times these religious structures are located in residentially zoned neighborhoods. This means that the most ideal reprogram solutions for these structures (multifamily residential, retail, restaurant, event space, etc.) are likely not allowed as an approved zoning use in these districts. As a result, careful review of zoning regulations and requirements must be undertaken early in the process to make the proper determinations on how to proceed with use approvals and variances as needed.
It’s important to engage the community as early as possible in regards to any potential projects in which a significant structure like a church may be converted and repurposed. For example, a use variance was needed for the St. Matthews conversion project, but we had already put a focus on early community engagement. These initial meetings with the community led to some great feedback which once we incorporated into the design led to widespread community support for the project. Providing an open line of communication is always the most effective way to deliver a project that is not only successful for the developer undertaking it. This engagement was critical in obtaining zoning permits which allowed the St. Matthews project to proceed to further phases of development.
Structural challenges may also arise based on the intended use of the space. For example, It’s very common for a church site to be fully developed with no surface area for external parking. Careful analysis may reveal that it may be possible to incorporate a basement level into an internal parking solution for the new use. In a majority of church buildings these lower level spaces have significant structural columns needed to support the heavy live load of a large scale worship space above. In Matthews Lofts, structural modifications allowed us to shore the existing floor and remove the existing timber columns to install new long span structural steel. This meant we could create a more open plan to provide circulation needed to both access and to navigate the parking area. It also provided us with additional bearing capacity to add additional floors within the units above.
Matthew’s Lofts – Lower-Level Structural Diagram + Helical Parking Ramp
This additional square footage added to the space allows more flexibility with program selection to maximize use of the exterior walls and ceiling vaults. It should also be assumed during early budgeting that some level of structural repair work will likely be required somewhere in a vacant church space. Careful planning and existing conditions assessments will help a design and developer to understand what kinds of structural modifications may be needed, and how they can be utilized to benefit the program within an adaptive reuse project.
For church conversion projects required to meet historic preservation guidelines, balancing modern needs with preservation requirements can limit modifications to certain building elements. The project is challenged with maintaining historically contributing elements while providing new and modern upgrades to meet performance and building code requirements. Through all of these challenges though, innovative design solutions in adaptive reuse projects can change what seem like issues into solutions that benefits the new use.
Case Study
St. Matthews Church Conversion – A former Russian Orthodox Church in the Southside of Pittsburgh, St. Matthews was structure was converted into (6) urban luxury multi-level homes with integral parking. The project maintains existing architectural elements while providing creative solutions for reuse of the existing structure and exterior. Restructure of the 1st floor and exterior basement provide the structural backbone to vertically extend the units while allowing for simple parking access and maneuverability. Community engagement was pivotal in garnering support of for renovating this long vacant structure. The existing space provided ample opportunities for unique incorporation of existing elements, which connect users back to the previous use for the space. The project was completed in 2021.
Matthew’s Lofts – Pittsburgh, PA – Completed Project Exterior
Matthew’s Lofts – Pittsburgh, PA – Construction Progress of new steel installation for Lower-Level Column Removal
Matthew’s Lofts – Completed Project Interior