Church Architects & Architectural Services
We Are Church Architects – We Only Design Churches and Church Related Facilities
Why Select CDS as Your Church Architect?
There is a lot of difference between an architect and a church architect. CDS and its associates have the experience of nearly 30 years and 1,000 church projects. All we design are church related facilities – we know cost-effective church design, and we understand how to work with churches.
Our focus is not, however, on just designing churches, but on seeing the churches built for ministry and the effective working out of the church’s mission of expanding the Kingdom. Our church architectural services are geared towards seeing buildings built, not just designed.
Church Architectural Services
We are a full service church architectural design firm with ministry focus and pricing. Because of our in-depth church design experience and a library of nearly 1,000 church plans, we are able to deliver high quality church building plans very cost effectively.
And while saving money is important, even more important is how well the building plan meets the real ministry needs of the church, now and in the future. In the years to come, you will forget how much you paid for your church building plans, but not how well your building plans support or hinder your ministry.
Because of our extensive understanding and history of effective church design, we believe we provide both superior price and value.
Architectural Services
- Stock church building plans
- Preliminary (concept) church design
- Sealed church construction documents
- Master planning
- Space planning
- Structural design
- Retain and manage site engineer for civil and site engineering
- Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing plans
- Landscape design
- Interior design
- Color renderings
- 3D computer models
- Responding to builder/bidder inquiries
- Space planning & programming
- Site evaluation and selection assistance
Related Services Available
- Zoning/re-zoning assistance
- Bid documents/drawings
- Bidding administration
- Bidding/negotiation
- Opinion of probable cost
- Multi-year cash flow projections
- Bid evaluation
- Contract award
- Financial budgeting
- Loan procurement assistance
- Feasibility studies
What Makes Our Church Design Services Distinctive?
Ministry Focus
Our church architectural services are an important part of our ministry. Our goal is not merely to design your church, it is helping you win souls and edify the saints. This way of thinking is reflected in our process, our pricing, and the manner in which we approach and conduct each church design engagement.
Experience
Solomon, in all his wisdom, knew that knowledge was no replacement for skill or experience. This is why the wisest of all men began his building program by sending for a skilled man. The King of Tyre referred to Huram as a man skilled and endowed with understanding. Skill comes from experience. With nearly 3 decades of focused church design experience, we believe that, as your church architect, we bring a deep understanding and proven skill set to your church building program.
Process
Our entire process is driven by our ministry philosophy and by what works best for the church. Our church design process is preceded by understanding the true needs of the church — current and future. The design process is done in an integrated fashion with ongoing financial and construction input to ensure the building will meet the needs of the ministry and the ministry’s budget. Millions of dollars each year are spent on church building plans that do not get built because they do not fit the church’s budget or needs. We consider this a travesty of stewardship and will not be a party to facilitating it.
Cost Effectiveness
Unless otherwise directed, and sustained by the budget, we build attractive, functional and cost-effective structures. Our cost effective design — where function has equal parity with form — provides buildings that fit the budget and support the church’s mission in winning souls.
Our designs are typically very volunteer friendly to maximize the cost savings to the church by having the option of reducing costs through gift in kind labor. Because of our experience, our wide variety of existing plans, and our ministry focus, we typically deliver architectural services for about one-half of the market rate.
Related Services
Planning. Proper church design begins with understanding current and future space plan requirements, what you can afford, how you will pay for it, and what the land will support.
Capital Fund Raising. Raise money to build with a biblical church capital campaign. Most churches raise an additional amount for the building fund of between 1 and 3 times annual tithes and offerings over 3 years.
Church Financing. We provide assistance with obtaining church construction loans at very competive rates and terms. If you are not currently qualified for a loan, we can assist you in becoming financially prepared to build.
Church Construction. In many cases, we can also build the facility. Depending on where you are located and the size of the project, we may or may not be able to deliver additional value and savings to the church. But for most projects, we would be pleased to discuss how our church construction services will save you money on construction.