Franklin Avenue Church is a pillar of spiritual leadership in New Orleans and across the nation. With a pastor who once served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention, the church has experienced dynamic, sustained growth. After completing their new sanctuary, the next step in their vision was a much-needed Family Life Center (FLC).

The FLC was to be built directly adjacent to the sanctuary, but early programming revealed a challenge—the building footprint required more space than the designated site allowed. Under normal conditions, building to the property line would have been prohibited. But New Orleans is a city of nuance, and in partnership with the church and city officials, we successfully secured a variance. That approval made it possible to design the full building the church needed—right where they needed it. It was a remarkable outcome and a collaborative victory.

Architecturally, the sanctuary was a beautiful and prominent structure, so our design for the FLC needed to complement it without competing. We used similar materials—brick plinth, standing seam metal roof, and EIFS with creative reveal patterns—to echo the existing building while expressing a distinct identity for the new facility.

The two-story Family Life Center includes a regulation basketball court with bleachers, a central check-in center, locker rooms, kitchen, game room, nursery, library, bookstore, administrative offices, and 30 large classrooms. The result is a flexible, high-capacity building that serves ministry, education, and recreation—fully integrated into the life and layout of the campus.