Central Gathering Space Addition & Campus Renovations
A congruent mission
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta sought to reposition its Midtown campus for its third century of ministry, transforming a collection of buildings into a cohesive, outward-facing environment aligned with its mission of hospitality, service, and community engagement. Houser Walker was engaged to lead an eight-month master planning process with a 20-year outlook, establishing a vision for a more open, accessible, and relevant campus serving both its congregation and an extensive network of community ministries. Central to the effort was rethinking a campus shaped by decades of incremental growth, which had resulted in fragmented circulation, dispersed programs, and limited connection between mission and space.
Four guiding objectives shaped the master plan:
Creating transparent and invitational connections to Midtown at the street level
Reorganizing campus circulation to be intuitive and connected
Developing an architectural response that respected the historic campus while expressing the church’s welcoming and inclusive identity
Providing flexible, multipurpose spaces capable of supporting diverse ministries and community uses.
Houser Walker led master planning, programming, and design, structuring the project as a phased campus transformation grounded in stakeholder engagement and long-term strategic alignment. The plan recentered the campus around a new public-facing commons, creating a clear point of entry and a shared space for gathering, connection, and hospitality. It also consolidated program areas, improved accessibility, and strengthened physical and visual connections across the campus. Initial implementation included renovations to outreach ministry spaces completed in 2024, followed by a second phase completed in 2026, delivering a new central commons, reconfigured circulation, and supporting ministry facilities.
The completed project establishes a cohesive, mission-aligned campus that significantly expands the church’s capacity for both congregational life and community services. A new central commons creates a visible and welcoming presence along Peachtree Street, while renovated facilities support a broad range of outreach programs in spaces designed for dignity, flexibility, and operational efficiency. The result is a unified campus environment that aligns the church’s mission with its physical space and positions First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta for continued growth, relevance, and community impact.
Client
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta
Location
Atlanta, GA
Status
Completed
Size
88,000 sf
Collaborators
Newcomb & Boyd
Uzon + Case
Kimley Horn
Acoustica
AVL Atlanta
Code Consultants
Gabler Youngston
Page Southerland
Tags
A new light-filled, three-story Commons invites and orients people into the campus both vertically and horizontally. This central space is the focal point of an open, intuitive circulation system with natural places for informal gathering to connect people. The architecture is a reflection of the principles of the church, being a place that offers sanctuary and refuge while being a ‘light unto the world’ and an inviting beacon within the neighborhood. This space will facilitate multiple functions, from lectures to wedding receptions.
The church’s goal of radical hospitality and inclusive community is centralized around the three-story Commons space, a living room for the campus that acts as the hub with connections to the historic sanctuary, modern worship space, and church ministries.
New campus additions and renovations are based on the premise of balancing the beauty of the existing campus with increased transparency, connectivity, air, and light. Being compatible with the existing church but differentiated in presence is part of this goal.
A new contemporary worship space will act as a front porch for the church towards the active Peactree Street cityscape of Midtown Atlanta. This invitational gesture creates a place for the city and church to overlap in program. Architecturally, the scale of the new worship space, Fifield Hall, is inspired by the proportions and red sandstone materials of the historic sanctuary transepts. Where the historic church is fortified, the new is invitational.
A multipurpose contemporary worship space will facilitate the growing congregation’s mission of providing an alternative liturgical environment with the integration of modern AV production technology for multipurpose use. The space is directly engaged with urban views and operable doors to the streetfront while incorporating acoustic and light-diffusing materials and form.
Proposed Circulation
Existing Circulation
The existing campus internal corridors are opened up to reconcile the many areas of the church. A proposed widening of the east-west circulation, ‘town-square’ Commons, and Fifield Hall, offer inviting gestures and visibility within the building. In addition, the complex issue of equitable accessibility to the existing structure is solved with comprehensive site work improvements, clear circulation paths, and intuitive wayfinding.
“We found Houser Walker through a national search process. We looked at firms in New York and Chicago. It has been an absolute gift to have an architect of their caliber in our backyard. I am so excited and so grateful for this master plan! So, sincerely, thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for everything you have given to this work.”
Tony Sundermeier, Pastor
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta