R. Messner Construction is a leading full-service church architectural and construction firm and
is unarguably a forerunner in innovative church design and construction. Richard Messner and
his team have developed and refined the most comprehensive step-by-step church design/
build process and checklist available today to assist pastors and building committees through
the architectural and construction process. From our first meeting to the presentation of our
full-color artist's rendering and 3-D Tour Video, to the final completion of your project, our
step-by-step checklist is practical, easy to follow, and helps ensure that every crucial step
of the complete process is properly addressed.
Church architecture is a unique discipline. In many ways, a church architect is designing much
more than a "church." We are designing a performing arts auditorium (sanctuary), an office
building (administration), a daycare facility (nursery), a school (education), a community
recreational center (gym/recreation), and sometimes, a restaurant (kitchen/fellowship/dining).
Most importantly, all of these components must be designed in coordination with one another
to accommodate each ministry requirement and a long-term plan for growth. Our in-depth
understanding of the design-related aspects involved with church architecture, and our familiarity
with the highly-technical facets of regional building code requirements, will be an invaluable
asset to your building committee throughout the complete architectural process.
After the initial Schematic Design Phase, our Design Team will help your building committee
proceed through the other architectural phases to finalize the working drawings that will be
needed for construction. Here’s a summary of all of the architectural phases:

With each stage beyond the Schematic Design Phase, the plans get more and more detailed
until we eventually have a set of plans ready for city submittal and construction. The more
technical portion of our work begins in the Design Development (DD) Phase and during the
Construction Documents (CD) Phase, the engineers (structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical)
will be performing the major portion of their work. Our comprehensive Architectural Checklist
will address items such as:
Room finish schedules, Building details and sections, Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical,
Structural, Audio/Video requirements, Theatrical, T.V., Computer, Special millwork, trim
& cabinets, Interior architectural design, Kitchen equipment and layout, etc.