Parish Center construction progress is illustrated front and center at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church. Click to check it out.

Complementing the church’s award-winning sanctuary, the two-story Parish Center features similar materials, window shapes and sizes, colonnades, roof design and trellis work.

One highlight of the project is a new coffee kiosk in the central courtyard plaza that will augment the outdoor fellowship and gatherings for the campus.

Another feature of the new Parish Center is the 4,630-square-foot second-story social hall. Showcasing high-volume wood-beamed ceilings, the venue will have the flexibility to serve as a conference facility – with dual large format presentation screens and advanced audio-visual features – or a social event setting, with dance floor, stage, dinner seating for 300-plus and kitchen facilities to service such events. Overlooking the campus’ outdoor courtyard plaza, the social hall can expand into a covered patio for overflow seating and gatherings.

The lower level of the new building includes a series of meeting rooms, a youth room and offices to serve the growing sacred education program and other ministries.

As with all our church architecture projects, St. Elizabeth’s new Parish Center is designed to express and evoke an appropriate ethereal connection that is something beyond four walls and a roof. We feel this even in the chaos of construction. See what you think.

Part 2: Building reuse

By:   John Pyjar, Principal, LEED AP

Sustainable design and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) have been getting a lot of press lately.  This is the second in a series of articles intended to give building owners an overview of the sustainable design features which are the most practical and effective in the long-term reduction of building operating expenses and energy consumption as well as features that contribute to the long-term “livability” of buildings.

When building a new structure, what is the single most sustainable consideration that has the most cost impact?  I would say the answer would simply be to not build a new building.  Adaptive reuse, remodel and renovation of an existing building and site will have the least environmental impact and potentially save the most time and money.

There are many sustainable factors that building reuse will affect.

1.  Preservation of virgin land and avoiding potential environmental and habitat developmental impacts of greenfield sites.

2.  Reusing structural components minimizes the consumption of the natural resources and energy used to make steel, concrete or lumber products.  Also, these components are generally some of the heaviest items that go into a new building, therefore requiring the most freight costs and energy to ship.

3.  The use of existing developed sites will often require less regulatory review time, permit costs and development impact fees. However, existing sites may still need to be brought up to current ADA/accessibility, energy and storm-water quantity and quality control requirements.

4.  Existing developed sites usually already have the needed infrastructure, avoiding costly utility extensions and public improvements.

5.  Reuse and renovation of existing buildings extend their life, minimizing impacts to landfills due to building demolition.

6.  The reuse of existing construction materials minimize the off-gassing created by new construction products, contributing to the long-term well-being of the occupants.

For a number of clients, we have successfully given facelifts to existing buildings that have outlived their usefulness and function and transformed them into new energy efficient, aesthetic and functional spaces. Minor additions or alterations to existing structures can create a sense of entry, bring in natural light, or create a better sense of indoor/outdoor relationships.

At Mission Valley Church of the Nazarene, we converted an existing gymnasium into a contemporary worship space. While the “bones” of the building shell were maintained, the mechanical units, light fixtures and windows have been replaced with high efficient systems.  The relatively inexpensive acoustic clouds give an aesthetic focus to the space, transforming it from a simple box to a dynamic space with rhythm and visual movement.

If you are looking for an existing building to purchase or lease, it is helpful to enlist an architect early in the process to help you evaluate whether it will meet your program needs as well as give you some insight into potential design options.  An architect will also be helpful in giving you an idea of what upgrades may be required to meet current codes, so you can factor those into your budget.

While re-using an existing building can be a “green” design solution, long-term function must also be evaluated.  We have often provided master planning services for campuses where we recommended that some existing buildings be relocated or removed in order to develop proper site circulation, create more outdoor people spaces, or remove vehicular and pedestrian conflicts.  Short-term savings must be weighed against the long-term livability and function.

With creativity and an aesthetic design sense, an architect that understands your needs and building program can bring value to an end product that will meet and hopefully exceed your expectations.

The Village Community Presbyterian Church in Rancho Santa Fe, designed by church architecture specialists domusstudio architecture of San Diego, has been honored with a 2011 Lily Award from the Rancho Santa Fe Association.

Presented May 12 at the association’s annual meeting at the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club, the Lily Award is intended to highlight work that embodies the high standard of architecture and landscape design envisioned by Rancho Santa Fe’s first architect and Building Commissioner Lilian Rice. Senior Associate David Keitel accepted the award for domusstudio architecture, which was founded in 1986 as Dominy + Associates Architects.

The Village Community Presbyterian Church is a longtime pillar in the Rancho Santa Fe area, founded in 1956 and with more than 1,200 members in its congregation.

Dedicated in May 2010, after nearly two years of construction and remodeling, the Village Church today is distinguished by hand-made Spanish tile roofing and a 5-foot 6-inch cross, which sits atop a 42-foot dome adjacent to a 45-foot tile-roofed tower. A new courtyard setting is at the heart of the church campus, and the new sanctuary offers seating for nearly 600, with improved visibility and audibility from all areas.

In addition to its new sanctuary, Village Church design and construction also includes new offices for church staff, new Sunday school classrooms and a new playground.

Throughout construction, the Rancho Santa Fe Association never received a phone call of complaint from the community.

“It was our honor to be a partner with the Village Church and to maintain good neighbor relationships with the Rancho Santa Fe community,” said Keitel of domusstudio architecture. “From an architectural and planning perspective, the Village Church design represents an anchor in the community, positioned as it is at the opposite end of the Village from the beloved Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. The building’s Lilian Rice design blends nicely with the character of Rancho Santa Fe, and we trust Lilian Rice would be pleased and find joy with our architectural addition.”