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Sacred

Religious Architecture & Design at Osterlund Architects

The epitome of architecture for community is Sacred architecture — churches. Our favorite description comes from an old textbook, “A moderately large, well-proportioned room is needed, in its center a table, that is all. Table, space and walls make up the simplest church.” (Schwarz). This is where we always start with Sacred Architecture, and from there, it’s all conversation, listening. We learn about all the functions that are required on Sunday or Saturday morning, and then all through the week. We learn about furniture and fixtures and about their goals for their neighborhoods. We talk about parking, we talk about entrances, we talk about reusing old buildings, and we talk about new finishes and new functions. We talk about mixed-use, and how a church building can be mixed-use and can serve more than just its members. Many of our conversations are reminders of core values for us and for the congregations. Many of our conversations lead to much bigger conversations, and that’s the way we like it. Our first church designs were in warehouses and shopping malls. We’re delighted to see churches asking us about additions, new sanctuaries, and new ideas. We have a church adding a coffee shop. We’ve seen churches ask about low-income housing opportunities on their property. We’ve seen churches add kitchens and showers to feed and serve their communities. This is mixed-use, this is sustainable, this is community building, and we provide leadership and organization for putting those enormous goals into physical construction.

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Redeemer Presbyterian Church

Redeemer’s foyer and sanctuary are refreshed with new finishes and lighting. The sanctuary features a curtain at the back of the stage and updates to the existing pulpit. Foyer improvements include an updated check-in desk, furniture and artwork. New finishes extend into the hallways and some offices and classrooms. New signage improves wayfinding throughout the building.

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White Plains UMC CLC- Phase 1A and Admin Wing

This is a phased design approach for a vibrant church campus. The Phase 1A renovation includes HVAC system replacement, mold remediation, waterproofing and interior finishes replacement in the classroom wing. The Admin Wing renovation includes complete gutting of outdated toilet facilities, new Men’s, Women’s and All Users restrooms and updated finishes in the adjacent hallway and lobby.

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Osterlund Architects Portfolio Sacred Title Bar Emmaus Church

Emmaus Church

Renovation of an existing 6,080 sf church building with historic significance dating back to the early 1900s with additions added in the 1950s. The new congregation required a reconfiguration of the sanctuary and classrooms to make the space functional for their Sunday worship services and child care as well as weekly office use. In addition, care was given to improving accessibility, functionality and the overall aesthetics of the space.

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Osterlund Architects is a full-service architecture and interior design firm, committed to our clients and their work from concept through construction, and through to their next opportunity. Our firm has expertise in all project phases, including programming, pre-design and planning through construction administration and closeout, as well as interior design, including furniture, fixtures and equipment (FFE) services.

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