Better rural churches through architectural planning

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to show that Protestant rural churches can be batter churches by combining religious and sociological planning with proper architectural planning. Architectural planning as presented in this thesis is a technique by which the needs and requirements or the proposed new rural church nay be translated into workable architectural drawings. Part of this technique is an analysis of building requirements and is called "Programming". Programming is not a complete answer to all the problems of the rural church nor will it always result in a perfect church building, but it can be a vary important tool by which a more functional and batter integrated building can be planned. This thesis will also attempt to clarify the role of the architect in the architectural planning of the rural church. An architect is a specially trained person and his services should be of use to rural as well as urban churches. It is not intended that this thesis give specific or detailed solutions to architectural planning, because each new church will present individual problems find conditions which belong solely to that church, its particular location and its denomination. The intent or this thesis is to help clarify the approach to architectural planning and to make programming easier for rural people.