St. Patrick’s Church is a new 9,800-SF facility designed as a collaborative effort between BH and the Parish Building Committee. Prior to the design phase, a programming study was conducted with church leaders to identify the ministry functions and current operations and to listen to the needs and vision of parish leaders and their ministries. The results of this study were used to synthesize design concept alternatives. Then, in developing the building architecture and layout, we incorporated design elements recommended by Built of Living Stones and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ guidelines for Church art and architecture and included natural, timeless, durable, and reverent materials.
Cloister areas surrounded by masonry arcade-like structures were situated at the building entrances for peaceful transition into the building. The structure has sloping standing seam metal roofs, skylights, stained glass windows, and a combination of brick and masonry for the exterior wall finish.
In addition to the worship space (sanctuary, nave, and baptistry), the building included work and vesting sacristies, a sizable narthex for gathering, miscellaneous offices, and storage space. A partial basement houses the mechanical and electrical equipment. The high ceiling in the nave is framed with exposed wood decking and hammer beam timber trusses. In addition to incorporating existing sanctuary, furnishings, and artwork, BH custom-designed new elements, such as the altar, ambo, baptismal font, and celebrant’s chair to harmonize with the existing. New furnishings including pews and a new pedestal for the tabernacle were also specified. The stained glass windows from the old church building were reused to create an interior lighted screen wall behind the sanctuary. In order to provide architecture with living and breathing sound for the liturgy and choir, an acoustic consultant was employed.
Architecture
