Courtyards can increase natural light, not budgets

Courtyards can increase natural light, not budgets

When constructing new church facilities, many Alabama Baptists look for ways to incorporate natural lighting in their buildings without blowing their budgets.
   
In these cases, church building experts often suggest using courtyard areas that decrease the amount of dark rooms in the facility.
   
Gary Nicholson, architect and master planner for LifeWay Church Architecture, believes that courtyard areas act as an extension of indoor space without building as many square feet.
   
“The fellowship hall can overflow into an outdoor space which is a lot cheaper than building a bigger fellowship hall,” he stated.
   
He added that courtyard areas could also act as an extension of teaching space by allowing instructors to explain God’s beautiful world to their students from the classroom.
   
“People want to refresh themselves,” Nicholson added. “It is human nature to desire a connection to their environment.”
   
David Payne, owner of Payne and Associates Architects in Montgomery, concurred.
   
“I like to design a church around a courtyard because that allows pedestrian circulation around the building and all of your classrooms will be able to have windows,” he noted. “I think that is a real strong design feature (that) allows outside wedding receptions and other social events with privacy.”
   
When designing a courtyard, Nicholson advises churches that the minimum width of a courtyard should be no smaller than 20 feet to get enough light in the area (preferably 25 to 30 feet).