Agapé Mission Church Multipurpose Addition
The Agape Mission Church community is anchored by the Agape Ministry Center, a converted 1980s warehouse in Elkridge, MD. The west half of the building was first adapted for worship, classrooms, and offices. In 2009, Ziger|Snead Architects renovated the eastern half, improving the entry, lobby, and worship hall. The latest project, completed in May 2025, continues that evolution with a new 5,500 SF addition that supports year-round programming across worship, sports recreation, youth ministry, and community events.
Client
Agapé Mission Church
Location
Elkridge, MD
Size
5,500 sf Addition
Completed
2025
The addition consists of two volumes: a multipurpose room gymnasium that accommodates recreational sports including basketball, volleyball, and pickleball, and serves as an event space for the church community, and a smaller glazed connector that links the new space to the existing building. The gymnasium is expressed as a simple, brick mass with elongated punched windows with on the north and south elevations, allowing daylight to enter while providing privacy with a ceramic frit. The connector, which includes open meeting and lounge areas, maintains acoustic separation from the gym and aligns with the existing lobby while angling toward the primary entrance. Wrapped in a thermally modified wood screen, it both shades the glazing and softens the transition between new and existing forms, reinforcing a clear circulation path and visual threshold.
The project navigated site constraints including an existing pipeline easement and a fire access loop. The project obtained a zoning variance to be sited on the property in the only location that preserved the required existing fire access drive. A landscaped stormwater facility is integrated between the two new volumes, managing runoff from the expanded roof area and introducing native plantings as a natural buffer and garden. The building footings were dropped below the depth of facility, allowing it to extend as a landscaped garden directly from the lounge space in the glazed connector.
The gym has an exposed steel frame with acoustic metal deck, and bookmatched plain sliced maple veneer wood paneling providing warmth and sophistication to the space. A floor to ceiling maple veneer wood paneled wall with (6) 14’-6” high sliding wood doors protects a 23’-0” wide LED display screen. The doors are opened for display screen use during non-sport events allowing for multi-functional use of the space. Materials and detailing were carefully selected to maintain continuity with prior renovations while enhancing beauty and refinement of the space.
The Multipurpose Addition provides flexible amenity space to the Agape Ministry Center by supporting a variety of recreation and social activities. Church members’ evening prayer groups and sports recreation teams activate the Multipurpose Addition on a daily basis serving the Agape Mission Church community.
Design Team
Steve Ziger
Kelly Danz
Ann Powell
Leslie Giron
Sarah Narrow
Consultants
MEP Engineer – BKM
Structural Engineer – Structura
Civil Engineer & Landscape Architect – A. Morton Thomas
Acoustic Consultant – Acoustical Design Collaborative
Photography
Karl Connolly
Awards
Publications
Design Award, AIA Baltimore, 2009