Fuller Group has been performing structural design for churches since our inception and it is an important part of our business. We work closely with our clients who specialize in religious projects to ensure the buildings meet the structural and budgetary needs of the congregation.
Our company has designed hundreds of sanctuaries, chapels, educational buildings and multi-purpose buildings for congregations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Churches often give the structural engineer a unique opportunity to contribute to the beauty and awe desired in many sanctuaries and chapels by the use of exposed timber beams and arches.
Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Located in Greenwood, SC, this beautiful sanctuary for Lady of Lourdes was one of the earlier churches for which Fuller Group provided structural engineering services back in 2001, and it has remained one of our favorites.
Completed in 2004, the 15,500-square-foot sanctuary’s roof was framed with exposed modified hammer beam trusses on 15-foot centers, reminiscent of English Gothic architecture used in the old cathedrals of Europe. To avoid columns in the seating areas, the wood trusses framed into long span steel trusses clear spanning one hundred feet front to back. A clerestory provides plenty of natural sunlight in the sanctuary. Architecture was by McMillan Pazdan Smith.
Atlantic Shores Baptist Church
Fuller Group partnered with Atlantic Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, VA for a comprehensive renovation project. Completed in 2019, the focus of the project was an enhancement to the entrances to the facility to allow for a more welcoming atmosphere, additional fellowship spaces through a café and courtyard, and refreshed children’s spaces.
The project included an expansion and renovation for a total new campus size of 100,000, and was completed in partnership with Compo Construction. While most of the focus of the project was logistical in nature, new design features were added to provide more natural light through the installation of high windows throughout the facility.
Port City Community Church – Leland Campus
Fuller Group partnered with Equip Studio in 2019 to develop a masterplan for Port City Community Church’s Leland Campus in Leland, NC. The project included 22,000 square feet of space encapsulating a 400-seat worship center, lobby space, informal meeting spaces, and a children’s wing with a large gathering area.
As part of a master plan, Phase 1 focused on flexible use of space in hopes to expand to other phases in years to come. The entire site includes 11.8 acres. Fuller Group also partnered with Edifice General Contractors on the project.