First Church of Christ Scientist

Introduction

Recognized as one of America’s “Coolest Suburbs,” Winter Park, Florida, has grown into an eclectic and vibrant community with events ranging from sidewalk art festivals to weekend farmer’s markets. It is close enough to Orlando to enjoy the attractions and yet far enough away to be rooted in Old World Florida with walking trails and lake side picnics. 

Winter Park was established in the late 1880s, and buildings were required to meet stylistic and architectural standards. Today, many of these historical elements are very present throughout the area. Nestled in the heart of downtown, First Church of Christ, Scientist is a community church with deep local roots that in recent years was confronting a deteriorating facility. With a continued desire to serve, the congregation decided to seek the best option to remain a vibrant piece of the Winter Park community. When the Church committee approached ACi Architects about updating their worship space and redesigning the entire property, the design team knew they would be working on a structure steeped in tradition and creating a lasting icon in the community that would need to stand the test of time both structurally and aesthetically.

The  Story

Through ACi’s guidance, the Church and the City of Winter Park aligned with the option to construct a new church on the southern portion on the block, while selling the northern portion of the block to be developed as a set of residential townhomes. This option satisfied the fiscal, social, architectural, and spiritual outcomes the church needed to achieve. The new church would be a 6,500 square foot space housing a Sanctuary Hall, Sunday School and administration. 

A modern approach while rooted in ritual and traditional values influenced the aesthetical elements and overall form of the church. The new church is a monolithic structure appearing to rise from the ground as if carved out of stone. To help create a church that references the past while embracing a current, contemporary design, the team selected Crossville’s Shades porcelain stone collection for the exterior cladding of the new facility. The 12” x 24” tiles are installed in a horizontal pattern giving the illusion of an elongated space on the property. The rich, earthy blend of Shades tones adds the perfect warm touch and pulled in natural elements promoting a cohesive flow from the worship space to the administration area.

“Early in the conceptual phase of the project, we asked the Church Congregation to provide us with a list of spiritual principles that helped to shape their faith. We found that in many ways, selecting Crossville tile, through its material honesty, lasting design integrity, low-maintenance nature and recycled content composition matched the guiding tenants of the Congregation,” explained Wade Miller, ACi’s senior project designer and project director.

The team at ACi and the Church wanted to be extremely cognizant of how and where the components of their build were derived. To meet this demand, Crossville’s Shades collection exceeded their expectations through the company’s dedicated sustainability practices. Manufactured at Crossville’s plant in Crossville, Tennessee, the Shades collection is produced with a minimum 20% recycled content and is Green Squared certified.

On top of selecting a product that met the high sustainable building standards, the team prioritized finding an exterior application of considerably low maintenance. With porcelain tile already offering scratch, moisture, and stain resistance; Crossville’s Shades collection goes a step further with its proprietary Cross-Sheen® finish. Cross-Sheen is an invisible, integrated finish that protects the tile from the defacing effects of graffiti, scuffs, and stains—a significant bonus in any exterior installation.

“Working with Crossville Studios on this project was seamless. Every step of the way, every question or request, be it from another round of tile samples to fine-tuning the installation process was handled with professional attention and personal responsiveness. I’m looking forward to the next project we have the opportunity to work with Crossville Studios on,” said Miller.