Childress & Cunningham Architects

Big gains from small refinements.

Building a Better Way: Basement Insulation - C|C Architects At Childress & Cunningham Architects, we commonly perform construction management for a project we design, and therefore get to know each structure down to the smallest details. This allows regular refinement in our construction approach, including this clever solution for the installation of baseme...

Character to build upon.

When Old is as Good as New - C|C Architects Adaptive reuse and historic preservation are crucial aspects of sustainable architecture and urban planning. Repurposing existing structures for new functions retains their historic and cultural significance. Working with old buildings presents a unique set of challenges for architects due to their....

Creating Common Ground

Hope Church Celebrates the Opening of the New Commons! - C|C Architects The transformation of the former sanctuary at Hope Church in Mason is complete! Introducing the new Commons, a dramatic adaptive reuse of a former sanctuary space which has become a dynamic new social hub connecting the church ministry to the community through education, social gatherings, and event...

Opening the door to new growth.

Beautiful Savior Enters a New Phase of Growth - C|C Architects Culminating a master plan that was developed in 2005, the most recent expansion to Beautiful Savior Church and School proudly welcomes all under a new Porte Cochere. The new entry opens into an expanded narthex that can be used for both church and school functions. The addition includes a new office...

Environmentally aware with stylish flair.

A New Slant on Sustainability - C|C Architects Childress & Cunningham’s experience with high-efficiency design attracts green-minded clients from across the region. This client desired a modern house in Tennessee to take advantage of sweeping mountainous views, and incorporating passive-house and passive-solar design principles for sustainabil...

Adaptive reuse: Turning the corner laundromat into a comfortable small home.

A Convergence of Opportunity - C|C Architects At Childress and Cunningham we have been presented with many intriguing challenges over the years, and this home renovation proved to be a unique opportunity. Our client looked to us for guidance as they embarked on this journey of adaptive reuse, converting a former laundromat into a comfortable re...

Building toward your ministry's goals, from concept to completion.

An Architect's 3 Tips to Help a Growing Church - C|C Architects Seeking to meet the needs of a growing congregation is an exciting challenge! An architect can assist the process of designing and building a new church or renovating an existing one during all 3 necessary stages: Analysis, Conceptualization, and Realization. ANALYSIS (Research & Planning) The goal....

Cooking up meals and memories, the qualities that make a good kitchen.

What Features of Kitchen Design Can Make it Both Beautiful and Functional? - C|C Architects Over time, the design of the home kitchen has undergone a significant evolution. Once relegated to a purely utilitarian space hidden or separated from the rest of the home, today’s kitchens have become informal gathering spots and sources of pride for homeowners. With the advent of specialized app...

Cooking up something new in an old retail building, a caterer turned to Childress & Cunningham.

Catering to Client Desires - C|C Architects Childress and Cunningham is poised to take on projects of many scales, including for those clients ready to scale up. The proprietor of A Catered Affair had the opportunity to grow into a larger space that opened up new possibilities for them. Being a former industrial supply shop, a change of use w...

The next level up: Hope Church's new Commons utilizes the original sanctuary to upgrade its community programs.

Hope Church Construction Update 4 - C|C Architects A new mezzanine is being erected in the former Sanctuary space. With Hope Church’s beautiful new Gathering addition completed, the focus has shifted to the Commons, a new social hub for the church community. Repurposing the existing structure includes the creation of new floor space within the bui...

Designed for a quick trip or a leisurely sip, Forager Coffee + Tea beckons customers in with an inviting street presence.

Getting Your "Go Juice" - C|C Architects Forager Coffee + Tea enjoys a prominent location on Main Street and is open for business in Milford, Ohio. Forager enlisted Childress and Cunningham Architects to create a new upscale atmosphere for their establishment. The deep commercial suite has been remodeled with a clean, edgy aesthetic. Expos...

After years of planning and construction, Hope Church's new Gathering addition opens to the community.

Hope Church's New Gathering Addition Opens! - C|C Architects Childress & Cunningham Architects is excited to announce the opening of Hope Church’s new Gathering addition. This past Sunday, the congregation held its first services in the soaring new sanctuary, giving worshippers firsthand experience of the immersive technology, lighting and acoustics built i...

The new entry and narthex addition to Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church projects a welcoming presence both inside and out.

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church Construction Update 3 - C|C Architects   At Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, here is a look at the continuing construction progress on the welcoming entry addition. Three wide openings along each side of the porte cochere admit light and enliven the main entrance. Wood-framed bearing walls and headers on top of the main steel beam supp...

Emerging details begin to define Hope Church's new Gathering addition.

Hope Church Construction Update 3 - C|C Architects The new Gathering addition to Hope Church is making a statement with the defining features currently being installed. A large cross hangs on its supports, centered in front of the three-paneled arch. This backlit composition serves as a bold statement of faith, facing a busy intersection, and it ech...

A new outdoor setting for the Hope Church community takes shape alongside the new Gathering addition.

Unbounded Youth Activity - C|C Architects At Hope Church in Mason, Ohio, the youth program knows no bounds! Their new covered shelter will play host to many events in an extremely informal setting, designed to be welcoming to young minds curious about the faith. While traditional interior classroom space is provided for the various youth pr...

Exterior finishes give Hope Church’s new Gathering its character, while work continues inside.

Hope Church Construction Update 2 - C|C Architects Work continues on the new Gathering space addition at Hope Church. The recessed panels for future video screens flanking the main stage have emerged (above) while the center of the front wall receives sound batt insulation. Protective coverings drape over the decorative wood trusses as a variety of....

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church's new signature entry is under roof!

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church Construction Update 2 - C|C Architects As the new entrance progresses at Beautiful Savior, you can start to get a sense of the wide, welcoming shelter from the porte cochere now under roof. The view above shows the front gable that will contain a decorative oculus window. Below, you can see this new “front porch” in profile with wind...

Hope Church is making great progress to expand their facilities to better serve their community.

Hope Church Construction Update 1 - C|C Architects Work is well under way at Hope Church! The dramatic vista above shows the new Covered Shelter for the Education Wing (on the left) as it is about to have roof sheathing installed, and the new 765-seat Gathering (on the right) is being framed and partially enclosed. Below is a close up of the Shelter...

A new covered entry emerges for Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church & School.

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church Construction Update 1 - C|C Architects The new entry additon at Beautiful Savior has gone vertical! Above, the steel frame that forms the backbone of the welcoming new Porte Cochere is taking shape. Below, a closer view of the framing of the new additon that expands the current Narthex and includes new church offices. Here is a view stan...

We love it when a plan comes together! Beautiful Savior's new entrance ties together years of careful master planning.

A Fresh Welcome - C|C Architects Designing for church growth means developing a comprehensive master plan and then following through on that plan with additions and renovations that adhere to both the immediate budget and the long-term vision. For Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church & School, this process has involved a lasting workin...

Keeping Costs Under Control

How to keep a lid on construction costs? Hope Church's expansion and revitalization (pictured) is a good case in point.

Childress & Cunningham was brought in to complete the design work after Hope Church parted company with a prior design/build firm. In addition, C|C is serving as the project's Construction Manager. As Construction Manager and Architect, Childress & Cunningham oversees competitive bidding to the construction trades, providing optimum cost efficiencies through direct sub-contractor bidding. Even during a rapidly changing construction environment, cost savings have been achieved at each step of project development, while achieving all project scope items originally envisioned by the client.

This close relationship with contractors combined with the direct knowledge of the design allows Childress & Cunningham to know precisely where extra efficiencies can be found as the building process continues in order to keep your project on budget.

To read more about our church projects, follow the link below.

https://www.cc-architects.com/portfolio/religious/

Finding Some "Common" Ground

After the completion of the new Gathering space at Hope Church, Childress & Cunningham will turn our attention to the floor space occupied by the existing sanctuary. This large volume will be transformed into new assets for the church community. The existing Lobby will open up into a much larger multi-functional Commons space that leads towards the new Gathering addition. Within the existing Lobby, a new Welcome Desk greets visitors, and a new kitchenette supports food and coffee services.

The Commons makes full use of the existing high ceiling to create a dynamic and flowing hub, with large community classrooms stacked on the main level and new mezzanine level, and a stone fireplace anchoring one end. The mezzanine community class rooms on each side are connected by a bridge with glass railings, offering a unique experience of the re-imagined facility. Additional meeting rooms, restrooms, cry room, and a dedicated audio/visual control room for the Gathering fill out the flanks of the Commons, while table and chair storage enables its use as a banquet hall.

To read more about our church projects, follow the link below.

https://www.cc-architects.com/portfolio/religious/

Enhancing the "Community" Part of the Church Community

Concurrent with construction of the new Gathering space for Hope Church in Mason, Ohio, Childress & Cunningham will be managing construction of another highly visible addition to the facility. This second expansion will be taking shape in the form of a freestanding covered shelter with a grilling area and storage for various outdoor events. Steel columns wrapped with stone and stained cedar trim boards will join with an enclosed storage shed to support the exposed wood truss roof structure. The storage space will serve as a media wall for projection, and electrical service will support multimedia productions. The shelter integrates with a new built-in fire pit circle and connects to sidewalks that serve the outdoor play areas and indoor youth programs. A patio expands past the edges of the expansion shelter to allow an even larger gathering on a summer evening. Gracious gathering locations and paths are designed both to encourage special needs student participation and provide accessibility for those with disabilities.

To read more about our church projects, follow the link below.

https://www.cc-architects.com/portfolio/religious/

Creating a Multi-dimensional Sacred Space

The new Gathering space for Hope Church draws on the many years of experience Childress and Cunningham has in religious facility design. From a functional standpoint, the congregation is wrapped in a graceful bowl of seating, allowing uninterrupted sight lines to the stage. State-of-the-art lighting and audio systems will be integrated to offer greater levels of technical production, including large video screens at the front to augment the congregation's experience. Acoustics are addressed through the shape and size of the internal volume, with its angled surfaces, and built-in absorptive bass traps.

The design features four exposed structural Glu-lam trusses in a 45 foot high cathedral volume. Along with clerestories, decorative lights, and special lighting focus on the cross, these design features elevate the sacredness of the space for the worshipper experience. Windows feature automated blinds to enable the light and outwardly-focused Gathering to be transformed easily to an inwardly focused worship space.

The new Gathering addition is but the tip of the iceberg as the expansion of Hope Church progresses.

To read more about our church projects, follow the link below.

https://www.cc-architects.com/portfolio/religious/

The Picture of Church Growth

Childress & Cunningham Architects is excited to be embarking on a journey of expansion and renewal for Hope Church in Mason, Ohio, providing our expertise in religious facility design and specialized construction delivery. Pictured is a visualization of the prominent first phase of this project, a new Gathering space that will seat 765 worshippers, giving the church a dynamic presence toward its community.

To read more about our church projects, follow the link below.

https://www.cc-architects.com/portfolio/religious/

Understanding the services architects perform and the way fees are calculated.

Architectural Fees and Phases of Work - C|C Architects Over the years, we have encountered potential clients who lack a reasonable expectation for the fees they may be asked to pay for the architectural services they request. What should a building owner expect to pay for the design of their project, and how does the architect add value to the project?....

Getting excited for this new commercial renovation project in Milford. Will be a complete transformation soon!

We are really looking forward to innovative performing arts projects in new and exciting ways after Covid.

Backstage at Music Hall with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra - C|C Architects Prior to the pandemic, Scott Hand, Principal, visited Cincinnati Music Hall for a dress rehearsal preview of new programming from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. It’s fantastic to see world-renowned music organizations continuing to push the limits and working to create unique experiences. This...

We've been working with the team at Joshua One for a while on an INCREDIBLE project. Click through to find out more about this neighborhood with perfect views combined with some truly innovative home designs.

Interested in a deep dive about the challenges we encountered and solutions we brought to the new The Care Center addition at Northstar Community Church?
https://www.cc-architects.com/2021/02/04/church-addition-from-plans-to-reality/

Church Addition - From Plans to Reality - C|C Architects When Northstar Community Church selected Childress & Cunningham to develop plans for a Care Center Ministry addition, they also selected our construction management expertise to oversee their construction. Over the past several months, the design has come together. Architect-led construction managem...