Liberty United Methodist Church

Change is never easy.   Especially for a rapidly growing 120-year-old Methodist church of some 1,500 people.  Yet the world continues to change.  But God is unchanging, right? Our design challenge was to accommodate the evolutionary ministry techniques of Liberty United Methodist Church while maintaining its strong roots and history in the local community as well as the spiritual one.  With the purchase of over 30 acres in one of the most explosive growth regions of Kansas City, the church asked that we master plan a nearly 200,000 square foot facility and identify a first phase of construction to facilitate their relocation.  Working with half a dozen different committees involving approximately 150 lay leaders in the church, the design process became as important as the end design product.  Numerous workshops, presentations, surveys and interactive games were initiated in order to build consensus while meeting the functional needs of the church.  Through that process, five guiding principals guided the design: Sustainability, History   Tradition, Inclusion, Connections   Community, and the Gospel Message.

The planning concept places a 1200 seat sanctuary central in the facility wrapped with a two-story atrium flooded with daylight and crossed with bridges bringing everyone together in a central space and framing views to the residential community beyond in reference to The Great Commission.  Symbols of the church’s rich history, such as the original church bell, are incorporated into the new facility without replicating previous church buildings or creating some false history.  Designed with the long term in mind, the building is timeless in its forms and materials and accommodates a complex mix of programmatic spaces. A high profile and very personal endeavor for many people, this project reveals our ability to manage complex client groups on projects that are near and dear to peoples’ hearts.  It balances modern technology and methods with the history of the church through a modern but familiar architectural expression.  Using LEED as a benchmarking tool, sustainable design strategies including daylit interiors, recycled/recyclable materials, minimized site impact, storm water quality, and energy efficient mechanical systems will be incorporated.