Christ Church of NWA
CLIENT: CHRIST CHURCH OF NWA
TIME PERIOD: 2025
ROLE: ARCHITECT
After splitting from a local church, the Christ Church of Northwest Arkansas congregation found themselves without a home and with limited resources. Their solution came in an unlikely form: 50,000 square feet of vacant retail space in the Northwest Arkansas Mall. Once occupied by Sears and later retrofitted as a call center, the anchor store offered direct access to the mall, a bus stop at its entry, and proximity to the Department of Human Services — positioning the church at a crossroads of daily life and outreach opportunity.
The challenge was formidable. The congregation envisioned a space described as “deeply authentic, simple, and serene,” yet the existing shell was a windowless box of corporate interiors with limited roof height and a rigid 24-foot column grid. The program called for a Worship Center seating 850, a 100-seat Chapel, classrooms for all ages, and generous spaces for fellowship — all within constraints seemingly at odds with their aspirations.
The design solution organizes the building around a central fellowship hall, a long axis that culminates in the Worship Center. The Chapel, inspired by John Wesley’s historic New Room in Bristol, provides a quieter counterpart — with dark-stained pews, white walls, and a central ceiling form that brings light down to the pulpit. Together, these spaces balance community and contemplation, while wood flooring, ceiling baffles, and a minimal cross introduce warmth and focus. Ten columns were removed and replaced with new structural members to open the Worship Center, while concealed beams and ducts maximize ceiling height. Creative use of lighting defines each space, from the oculus in the Café that enlivens a communal table to classrooms designed with their own distinct atmospheres.
After an accelerated design phase, Christ Church of NWA opened its doors on May 19, 2024, to an emotional congregation, amazed by the transformation from a vacant store into a place of authentic worship and community.
