circular congregational church

problem statement

The Circular Congregational Church is Charleston's oldest church. It was founded in 1681 and established the first Sunday school for religious education in South Carolina in 1816. Lance Hall was added to the church in 1856, and it has served the congregation well for many years.

Over the past decade, church membership has grown by 150 percent and Sunday school enrollment has doubled. To accommodate this growth and increase its educational and urban outreach ministries, the church needed a new 3000-square-foot building on the original grounds, linked to Lance Hall. The lower floor of Lance Hall was renovated as part of this project.

our design response

Church leaders asked that the new structure complement the beauty of the church grounds with the smallest possible footprint on the historic property, and include as many green principles as possible. The new building provides four classroom spaces, porches, an exterior courtyard space, additional restrooms and a shower (for weekend lock-ins). Lance Hall renovations provide a larger nursery and a dedicated adult meeting room. An elevator supporting the two buildings makes the church fully accessible for the first time in its history. The building’s configuration features a covered porch overlooking an intimate meditation space. Sustainability features include a vegetated roof, geothermal heating and cooling system and rainwater-collection cisterns for landscape use

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