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On the plateau is the main gathering space that Harris designed for quiet contemplation. Rustic and unadorned, it displays an authentic expression of natural materials in the tradition of early Quakers. But, as Harris says, the Quakers' taste for plainness isn't nostalgia or a rejection of contemporary design. "They do not want architecture to take on a meaning of its own, but to be simple, beautiful, and background," he says.

The San Antonio Friends say that construction cost less than a one-bedroom condominium in many major cities. Lake|Flato showed that good design does not necessarily mean expensive design, even when hiring a nationally recognized firm.

The Korean Church of Boston (KCB) was founded in 1953 as the first Korean church in New England. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, KCB launched an unusual fundraising campaign: to create a children's chapel and community center.

Architect Brian Healy divided the building into sacred and secular spaces. The chapel—a sacred component—is tucked behind the sanctuary and faces a residential community. The community center's coffee shop, a secular component that is a vehicle for outreach, faces a busy Boston street. KCB also offers language programs and other cultural events.

The jewel of the new building is the children's center. Skylights dance playfully across the ceiling. Seating is less rigid and formal than in KCB's former chapel, allowing children to walk, stand, or sit on benches all around the stage. Negative space creates the cross at the front, which is a reference to architect Tadao Ando's celebrated Church of the Light in Osaka, Japan.

Healy says KCB wants its children to have a different kind of church experience, one that engages the world right outside.

Jae Cha has the mind of an artist, the heart of a missionary, and the spirit of a nomad. Although architects are typically rooted in one place, Cha says she goes to wherever the Spirit calls her, spreading the Good News. Her design firm, Light Inc., is based in Washington, D.C., but her work has been produced in Latin America and Africa. Unlike most global architectural firms, Light Inc. is a nonprofit.

Cha's church buildings break away from the old church archetype. Traditional churches are usually cruciform or rectangular and often have a tower to show authority. Cha believes that the body of Christ is nonhierarchical, and that therefore the church building should not be either.

Cha's churches show Christ as the center of community. It is the spirit of the community rather than the building that reaches up to the heavens. Thus, her buildings are always bold, symmetrical shapes, and flat on top. Her church in Bolivia is a circle within a circle; the Honduran church is two layers of squares. These layers let in natural light and allow the congregation—and fresh air—to move freely in and out.

Cha says her architectural inspiration comes in part from studying fashion. The sheathing of the building is like an evenly draped fabric on skin, covering the body of Christ.

The late architect Sam Mockbee believed that only a fraction of Americans live and work in well-designed buildings. Reasoning that everyone deserves thoughtful design and that architects should be available to serve more than just the wealthy, he made Hale County—a poor, rural area in western Alabama—a case study for social justice through architecture. As a first step, Mockbee and colleague D. K. Ruth founded the Rural Studio program at Auburn University in 1993.

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May 2009, Vol. 53, No. 5, Page 33