Baptist Community Ministries
Revitalizing a historic St. Charles Avenue building, Baptist Community Ministries’ new headquarters creates a community-focused space while preserving mid-century architectural details. With a focus on preserving the building’s historical significance, this project entails the restoration of an expansive 11,000 square foot space, formerly a Hancock Whitney bank branch, to serve as BCM’s new headquarters. This relocation signifies a significant milestone for the organization, symbolizing a fresh chapter of engagement and community outreach.
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After making the decision to move to St. Charles Avenue, BCM wanted to celebrate this return to the neighborhood and community members by creating a welcoming and warm space for visitors.
Moving from an upper floor in a corporate tower on Poydras, the new ground-floor location along St. Charles serves as both a metaphorical and physical “return to the community.”
The Baptist Community Ministries team wanted the new headquarters to be “transparent,” “warm,” and “compassionate to those they service.”
These front windows and open lobby space are the first invitation to the neighborhood, providing views to St. Charles Avenue, the Garden District, and the iconic streetcars of New Orleans.
The wall behind the new front reception desk was original to the building.
Rather than scrub the space clean, the design team strived to honor interior conditions and augment with new interventions.
The design maintains existing wood paneling and terrazzo floors in the lobby, as a nod to the original character of the Whitney Hancock bank building, and supplements with a custom milled reception desk.
Existing reception area.
Generally, the lobby required a light touch throughout, with some added millwork and remediation of the terrazzo floors and travertine columns from the 1950s.
The interiors team selected furnishings that highlighted the mid-century modern elements and original details, while providing maximum functionality.
Each furniture piece in the lobby is multi-functional, serving as spaces for conversation and for representing the organization’s mission to welcome the community.
Existing lobby space.
The flexibility of the space is essential in serving multifunctional programming needs, like events, presentations, coworking, and more.
On the second-floor, office space was created by transforming the white box of the 1950s office era to a collaborative and efficient model.
A variety of semi-private workspace and meeting areas are scattered around the second floor, providing workers a choice in day-to-day operation.
The second floor was transformed from cold, corporate offices to warm, welcoming workspaces that encourage collaboration and comfort for team members.
Private offices on the perimeter were closed with glazed storefront systems, allowing light from exterior windows to penetrate deep into the communal workstation space.
Open workspaces with modern finishes and efficiency in mind encourage workers to collaborate as a team but also offer necessary privacy and comfort.
Lighting solutions were important in establishing a bright and uplifting office.
Originally empty, the courtyard was reimagined to serve as a gathering space for employees and visitors.
Impervious concrete was replaced with pervious pavers to manage stormwater runoff.
Existing courtyard area.
