The Educational and Office wing addition provides the added space and flexibility required for the expanding ministries of the DuPage A.M.E. Church. The new Chapel provides the appropriate scale space for small special services, weekday worship, and weddings. Fellowship and large group education activities are made possible in the Multi-Purpose room. The Children’s Church and Classrooms support youth and adult education programs.
The design is a delicate balance between the character of the existing building and a new identity appropriate to a place of contemporary worship. Continuity is maintained through the use of a masonry unit and building mass similar to the original sanctuary. The addition also incorporates exposed structural steel, continuous window walls, and a unique rainscreen façade that expresses the contemporary nature of the congregation.
The project includes cost-effective sustainable design strategies such as daylight harvesting, operable windows, extended overhangs, and a heat recovery ventilation system that combine to reduce the overall energy consumption of the building for a modest cost.
Location: Lisle, Illinois
Area: 10,000 square feet addition, 4,300 square feet renovation
Key Features
Chapel
Children’s church
Bookstore
Classrooms
Administration suite
Restrooms
Awards
American Institute of Architects, Chicago, Distinguished Building Award - Interior, 2014
American Institute of Architects, Chicago, Small Firm/Small Project Award, 2013
Association of Licensed Architects, Gold Medal Award, 2012
Society of American Registered Architects, National Merit Award, 2012