The Richmond Hill Baptist Church was designed with the mandate to provide a traditional exterior aesthetic. The land developer, Dundee Developments, wanted to create a traditional ambience in the community in keeping with a preexisting historic mansion. This provided a theme for the entire Richmond Hill area for which they were responsible.The conventional floor plan consisting of a long and narrow nave, which is typical for the historical style, was inappropriate for the church group which desired a more contemporary “fan-shaped” seating arrangement. As a result we worked hard at establishing a geometry which would lend itself to the desired aesthetic without compromising the desired seating arrangement. The final design provides all of the character and charm of a traditional country church and yet accommodates a very contemporary and efficient seating arrangement.A spacious mezzanine surrounds the main sanctuary seating and tiers down into the main floor from both sides. This accommodates interactive services by allowing direct access to the podium from the upper level seating. It also places as many people as possible within close distance of the pastor and stage events. At the lower level, Christian education spaces benefits from naturally lit sunken courts that also allow access to the outdoors.
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