God-given opportunity to create grand designs

When your client raises capital passing the plate at communion time, an architect's fee isn't likely to compare to a flash new waterfront development.

But regardless of that, and regardless of faith, many architects see church design as a God-given opportunity.

Over the centuries, many of the world's most famous churches have been designed by architects who did not necessarily share the faith their creations represented.

According to the chair of the heritage committee of the ACT Institute of Architects, Graeme Trickett, many architects jump at the chance of ''doing a church'' because they see it as a unique sort of building.

''A church design is something you can play with. You have this large space,'' Mr Trickett says.

Canberra architect David Clarke, principal of Clarke Keller, says he has been a spiritual seeker most of his adult life but has never been able to find any organised systems to which he can commit. Yet he says, ''I have found my experience working on church buildings very rewarding.''

His favourite churches in Canberra are St Michael's Catholic Church, Kaleen, designed by Rodney Moss, of Cox Humphries Moss, and St Thomas Catholic Church, Charnwood, designed by Aldo Giurgola, better known for having designed Parliament House. Mr Clarke says both churches represent a new approach to suburban church architecture.

Mr Moss confirms architects like designing churches. ''You are trying to deal with high-order things.''

He also designed the chapel at Radford College and is working on the design of the redeveloped precinct of St Christopher's Catholic Cathedral at Manuka.

''You don't do churches if you are wanting to make money, but because it is a contribution,'' Mr Moss says. He does not agree many church architects have no faith. ''We are all religious in some way,'' he says.

Ric Small, of Small and Quinton Architects, is a Canberra architect who is overtly Christian. ''We have done quite a lot of churches over the years,'' he says. In fact, about one a year since 1996.

''We have a special heart for church architecture. The partners are all church men. We have an enthusiasm to assist the Christian community where that opportunity has arisen.''

He also says designing church buildings is essentially a labour of love.