Nationally, ecclesiastical buildings exist among the most ornate and fully articulated examples of building trends, architectural styles, and works of master architects, builders, craftspersons and artists. They provide a snapshot of popular architectural design over time, each portraying building materials, techniques, and industry knowledge at a certain point in history. Aside from their designs, religious buildings often represent decades of community, personal, and spiritual identities in the built environment with strong individual and societal connections associated with them.
Cities throughout the country are experiencing the impact of changing trends in religious service attendance. Many buildings once completed to serve as religious and community gathering spaces have been losing their traditional congregations and specific purposes they were built for. Unused religious buildings can face difficulties attracting new owners, and reuse options can prove challenging to a point that prospective property owners may consider demolition.
In Minneapolis, multiple churches have been approved for demolition to make way for new housing within the past decade. Understanding the potential community and historic significance of these buildings, different tools have been explored to accommodate the retention of some of these ecclesiastical buildings AND their adaptive reuse to provide housing. This presentation will showcase recent examples.
