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Architects Peeroj Thakre and Henning Knoetzele from Architecture Ph5 began designing an annex for the Burnaby Alliance Church in 2019, with the building being completed last spring. The Annex (an extension of the main Burnaby Alliance Church located a few doors down on Armstrong Ave, Burnaby) is located in a residential area.

One of the biggest challenges was finding a way to perfectly fit a large institutional building into the scale and shape of the other (much smaller) houses on the street, and that took some work, says Thakre.

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Site integration and urban design

Situated on a residential plot, the architects paid particular attention to how the annex interacts with the local school, park and trails surrounding it.

Pathways were incorporated into the design, integrating the church into the daily rhythms of the neighborhood, connecting pedestrians to the school behind the church.

Multifunctional design

The annex was designed to be more than a place of worship but a multi-functional community space used seven days a week.

“Today, most churches are funded by their congregation, so the goal is to make the most of the space,” Thakre explained.

They want these buildings to be used not just on Sundays but seven days a week.

The design includes a large multi-purpose room that also serves as a sanctuary, auditorium, community room and gymnasium. It also includes a large community kitchen, meeting rooms, youth areas and a lounge. These spaces are used for worship services, children’s programs and community events.

Often an afterthought, this church’s parking lot became a design challenge for Ph5’s architects. Rather than creating a sea of ​​surface parking, they cleverly concealed part under the building.

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“Half of the surface parking lot is covered under the structure,” says Knoetzele. The rest is designed with a light green glass grid, avoiding the typical look of a church surrounded by asphalt.

The parking structure, with its open brick screen and natural ventilation, became an integral part of the architecture, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior.

Built to last and easy to maintain

A key factor in the design was the longevity and maintenance of the building.

Churches often don’t have the resources for ongoing maintenance, so they’ve focused on sustainability, Knoetzele explained.

“The facade is brick, so you basically never have to touch it again. Maybe in 20 years you’ll pressure wash it once and be done,” he says.

The architects struck a balance between a sturdy, low-maintenance structure and one that remains welcoming and warm.

Warm, bright and modular interior

The interior of the church is designed to be as versatile as its exterior. The sanctuary can accommodate up to 350 people, but the real success lies in the flexible spaces that support various community activities.

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They brought the brick from the outside inside to create a connection between the exterior and interior spaces, Knoetzele said. The tall windows flood the space with natural light, making it warm and welcoming.

The warmth of the brick, the red carpet and the natural wood create a general feeling of well-being.

Community-driven design process

Community participation is an important part of their design process, says Thakre.

“We had a big engagement party with the congregation,” she explains. They reviewed what would be ideal in terms of programs as well as the needs and challenges of different spaces.

This collaborative approach ensured that the design reflected the group’s aspirations, creating a space where they could see themselves and their community activities, says Thakre.

“They’re looking at developing a whole bunch of new programs to use them as best they can,” she says.

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