New Church Complex: West Valley Church

The West Valley Church Expansion project provided a 35,000 square foot, single-story addition, parking for 280 automobiles, accommodations for bus parking and four acres for outdoor activity space. The expansion included 18 classrooms, a full-size gymnasium with a performance platform, Children’s Church assembly area, a youth assembly area, a full-service kitchen, library, and 4,500 square feet of administration offices and support spaces.

The building is located in a residential area and was designed to fit within the context of a residential setting. The rooflines maintained a residential feel and the exterior materials also reflect residential products. The Church Development Committee’s desire was to provide a facility to meet the spiritual and everyday needs of the Yakima Community. The addition of the gymnasium and full-service kitchen was key in this concept, but to facilitate this large activity area and the existing 500-person sanctuary, the circulation corridors, and exiting had to be well-planned and functional. To meet this challenge the foyer and linking corridor systems are slightly oversized with extra exits to allow large numbers of people to flow easily from one space to another without feeling confined.

The Church operates daily activities and evening classes for adults, youth, and children fifty-two weeks a year to meet the spiritual and community needs within the West Valley area. The parking area is well-lit and landscaped to provide a safe and inviting atmosphere for all who use the facility. The Church is also planning to add a new sanctuary at some point in the future to complete the master plan for this site.