The "Branded Building" Concept Announced At NRB

HOUSTON – The Morris Architects Church Design Studio and Cooke Pictures announced a partnership at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Conference March 8-11 in Nashville, TN, to bring the ‘branded building’ concept to churches nationally and abroad. The partnership between the two firms was born from their joint involvement on the Lakewood Church project and from their combined personal passion and groundbreaking approach in serving churches and non-profits. “My firm’s partnership with Cooke Pictures offers clients a powerful combination of architectural and media solutions that together express a church’s unique story and message of Jesus Christ,” said Mark V. Martof, principal, director of the Church Design Studio.

The alliance between Morris Architects, a 70-year design firm with offices in Houston, Orlando, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro, and Cooke Pictures, a media production and consulting company based in Los Angeles, offers pastors solutions to defining and creating their unique brand identity through media and architecture—key elements in how churches present themselves to their communities.

Mark adds, “We believe that the promise you advocate through your ministry
should also be evident in your building—from front to back—to create a complete, branded, worship experience.”

Both companies bring expertise specific to churches and non-profits. Morris Architects is known for creating some of the most acclaimed worship spaces in America, such as Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, and for working with some of the nation’s leading ministries like Jim Reeve’s Faith Community Church and Pastor KirbyJon Caldwell’s Kingdom Builders. Martof pioneered ‘visioning’ – a unique planning and design process that captures a congregation’s vision story, and translates it into the unique atmosphere and potential of a church.

Phil Cooke, LA television producer, author and founder of Cooke Pictures, is instrumental in the success of some of America’s largest media ministries including Lakewood Church, Joyce Meyer, Robert Schuller and many others. His controversial and compelling book “Branding Faith: Why some churches and non-profits impact culture and others don’t,” outlines ways churches and non-profits can cut through the media clutter, connect and develop meaningful relationships with target audiences in the 21st century.

“Mark and I ask churches questions like ‘what does your community think of when they think of your church’”, said Phil Cooke, CEO and founder of Cooke Pictures. “We ask questions like these because knowing and ultimately changing the perception of what people understand about any church can dramatically transform its impact.”

Working with churches to create a ‘branded building’ begins by discovering the church or non-profit’s unique brand story. Elements include identifying the message and understanding the organization’s perception in its community. The process ultimately leads to designing a building or sanctuary that is the visual expression and physical representation those concepts. Morris and Cooke Pictures work to integrate unique and innovative architecture with the church’s powerful brand story to create a compelling worship or ministry experience that makes a difference in today’s media-driven culture.

ABOUT MORRIS ARCHITECTS
Established in 1938, Morris Architects is a 200-person architectural practice with offices in Houston, Orlando, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro. The firm provides architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and planning services to a diverse national and international client base. Morris’ project list spans most major building types.

ABOUT COOKE PICTURES
The creative team at Cooke Pictures has developed powerful brand identities and shaped the media outreaches of many of the largest and most effective churches, ministries, and non-profits in America. Based in Los Angeles, the company has produced programming in more than 40 countries and redefined the rules for sharing a message of hope in today's media-driven culture. From traditional media to digital media, Cooke Pictures is helping religious and non-profit organizations around the world find their voice and impact the culture.