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The Value of Hiring a Church Architect

The Value of Hiring a Church Architect

Experience in Meaning, Worship, and Pragmatism

Hiring an experienced church architect for the design of your sanctuary is an important step to providing for your congregation.  The right team, with deep knowledge of church design and working with your church building committees, can make profound contributions. 

The role of a church architect extends far beyond the realm of conventional architecture.  Experienced religious architects understand the nuances of design for different theologies with a unique understanding of religious symbolism and the intricacies of creating a space that embodies the essence of faith and spirituality,

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The Importance of Religious Symbolism in Architecture

The Importance of Religious Symbolism in Architecture

Buildings that connect the human experience to faith are special places. Accomplished ‘architecture’ works on many levels of perception to offer a richer experience to the occupant. Religious architecture offers a unique opportunity to inspire, lift spirits, and subtly teach the faithful and those still seeking faith.

In this white paper, we explore how PRA’s Church designers used architecture and integrated religious symbolism at Martin Luther College’s Chapel of Christ to embody the Christian faith and the major considerations that influences those design decisions.

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Keeping the Faith in Catholic Education

A flexible student / teacher workspace in the Catholic elementary school, Lumen Christi in Mequon, Wisconsin. Furniture allows the room to serve many functions, and glass provides views in and out of the room to increase supervision and safety.

Demand for Catholic education is increasing rapidly as parishes consolidate their school systems. Traditionally, each Catholic church would run their own school. Now, as the trend turns to shared school systems that serve multiple parishes, the school buildings need to expand for the growth.

Expanding for growth can mean either renovating and adding on to existing school buildings, or creating a whole new school building. Either way, the challenges remain the same. The school building has to serve more than one purpose.

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Welcome 2017

Adaptive re-use renovation and expansion to house the Bader Rutter Agency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

It’s been a great year for Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP. We are excited about what 2017 brings and we are working hard to deliver quality design and help solve our clients’ problems of space, efficiency and image. Check out what some of our clients are saying about Why they selected PRA. Also take a look at just a few of the projects we are currently designing.

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A New Center for St. Augustine University Parish in Platteville

Aerial view of St Augustine Student Housing at UW Platteville, WI

Finding your place on a college campus can be difficult. Some students have a strong faith background and want a safe space to practice their religion and share thoughts and experiences with their peers. The Newman Center at St. Augustine University Parish in Platteville, WI allows students to come together for worship, discussions and events. We designed the new chapel and student center highlighted in this video.

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PRA Collaborates with UWM Externs to Design New Religious Trade School in Peru

Our church architects stress that collaboration is the heart of the PRA church design process. Here, we are working with UWM externs for a faith based trade school in Peru

We understand the importance of sharing our knowledge and expertise with younger generations and aspiring architects, and we regularly welcome externs from UWM’s School of Architecture& Urban Planning into our office to learn more about how a successful architectural firm functions. Our recent UWM externs collaborated with Partner Mark Herr on the design of an exciting new project for St. John Vianney Catholic Church’s

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Plunkett Raysich Architects Celebrated Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church Open House

MILWAUKEE, WI – Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP, one of Wisconsin’s leading architecture and interior design firms, joined Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lake Geneva in celebrating the grand opening of the church’s new building on January 12, 2014.

The 29,780 sq. ft. building accommodates the faith community’s anticipated continued growth and provides community spaces for current and new program opportunities. The PRA Church Design Studio worked closely with the contractor to ensure the building’s design was compatible with a rigid frame steel structure,

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