SITUATION
Located in the Pacific Northwest just outside Seattle, Northshore Community Church in Kirkland, WA has long been committed to creating welcoming spaces where families can gather, grow, and connect. As the church continued to evolve over time, however, the campus began to reflect years of incremental change.
Northshore Community Church’s campus had grown in ways that left key spaces feeling disconnected. Kids ministry areas were spread across multiple floors, making the experience less intuitive for families and leaving some spaces underutilized. Movement through the building wasn’t always clear, and wayfinding could be challenging for both returning families and first-time guests.
The visual story of the campus was also fragmented. Graphics, colors, and theming varied from space to space, and the main lobby lacked a strong visual identity to anchor the experience. Without a consistent design language connecting environments, the building felt more like a collection of individual spaces than a unified ministry destination.
Northshore saw an opportunity to bring clarity and cohesion to their campus. The goal was not simply to refresh individual rooms, but to create an environment families could navigate with ease and where each space supported the larger story of the church.
SOLUTION
PlainJoe partnered with Northshore to focus the project on improving spaces that had the greatest impact on everyday experience. Rather than stretching resources thin, the team concentrated on targeted interior updates that could bring clarity, warmth, and cohesion.
The main lobby was refreshed with a new interior design plan, updated color palette, and improved signage to better welcome guests and orient families. In kids ministry, spaces were reimagined and consolidated into a more unified zone, allowing children to be grouped together more intentionally while freeing other areas for future use.
Throughout the project, the design drew inspiration from the Pacific Northwest context. Subtle regional cues, outdoor-inspired textures, and custom artwork referencing the Seattle skyline helped root the space in its local environment. From the lobby through to Northshore Kids, a consistent visual language was established, allowing the story to mature naturally as guests moved through the building.
All work was completed while the church remained fully operational, with construction carefully phased to ensure spaces were ready and welcoming each Sunday.
TRANSFORMATION
The result is a campus that feels refreshed, unified, and intentional without pretending to be something it’s not; bringing transformation to the areas where it mattered most.
The kids ministry now operates in a cohesive, clearly defined environment that feels warm, engaging, and thoughtfully designed. Parents experience smoother check-in, clearer wayfinding, and a greater sense of place as they move through the space. The lobby sets the tone with a welcoming atmosphere that reflects both Northshore’s mission and its local identity.
“We’re happy not just with the design, but with the overall look and feel, and with what parents and kids will experience in our environment. That experience translates directly into the ministry we’re able to do for them.”
–Gary Lindsay, Executive Pastor of Next Gen
Most importantly, the updated spaces tell a consistent story. What once felt fragmented now feels connected. The campus no longer reflects years of incremental design choices, but a church that understands its present season, creating a strong foundation for what comes next.
