Asbury Children's Ministries

Location: Lafayette, Louisiana
Size: 28,900 sf

Designed to be the first part in a future expansion of a Methodist campus the 19 classroom facility helps define the edge of a main arterial street. The building’s overall placement within the church campus will allow for expansion on two sides of the building while allowing it a predominate facade to the public. The main entry takes on the form of a Gothic barrel vault which takes its form cues from their nearby church and punched with large voluminous windows that spread light throughout the entire space. The story volume is defined by the vaulted ceiling and a glass rail mezzanine that allows the children to overlook the colorful terrazzo floor pattern inspired from one of the director’s favorite children’s books. Designed for primarily pre-school children’ the placement of the classroom large Gothic windows, are placed directly on the floor so the children would have a full view and approachable vista in every room overlooking the campus and the oak trees that surround it.

The focus of the building is to provide the first component of a four-tiered Master Plan for the development of this congregation’s mission.

In addition to serving as a children’s ministry and education center, the facility will also serve as an adult education center after normal hours and on weekends. The new building will also unite members of the congregation and public as they enter the space, providing visual and sensory experiences not only for young children but for adult congregation members as well. The building design addresses the needs of small children while addressing the needs for the adult population, which at times can be directly opposite from one another. The design team effectively merged these two juxtaposed elements into one cohesive union.

Due to the Architect’s planning, the Church Campus will continue to be a positive enhancement to the neighborhood as well as the City, while serving to increase opportunities for various ministries that are present, to better experience opportunities that are present, to better understand the experiences that await during a visit, and to ultimately want to return in the future.