SERENA STURM ARCHITECTS

The challenge for this Church was to give a 1,400 seat Worship Space the warmth and character felt by the parish. The resulting design begins with the simple form of a gabled roof, drawing on the familiar and comforting form of local homes. That character continues with the use of a cedar wood rainscreen, a material of human scale and natural warmth. Inside, abundant natural light, including a subtle yet bright circular clerestory in the Worship Space, make for airy, welcoming spaces. The wood of the exterior is also brought inside, not only linking inside and out, but again using the natural character of wood to exude warmth and sacredness. That feeling is intensified by the circular form which, in a unique way, creates a focus on the open space at its center, allowing the celebration there to be the undistracted focus. .