Sacred Space Research - 2

Here are the answers to a couple open-ended questions. Keep in mind these are free-form, top-of-mind answers aggregated from over 1,600 people who do not currently attend church.


Thinking of this same place you would likely meet a friend, what about the layout or fixtures of that space makes it enjoyable? In other words, when meeting a friend, what design features of the environment contribute to making it a good place to interact?


















In what places or settings do you feel close to God?

















On the question above (Where do you feel closest to God?) the largest percentage said nowhere/NA, which makes sense I guess because they don't go to church. However, the vast majority of those who did have an opinion feel close to God in nature or the outdoors. Hmmm... I wonder if we could bring some of the outdoors inside our church buildings; maybe an Embassy Suites kind of atrium with plants and trees and....

It's also interesting that 1 out of 10 unchurched people feel close to God inside a church, cathedral or synagogue. In the next post we'll look at how design plays into their perspective on church buildings.