Saint Bonaventure Parish New Church Campus

Our challenge was to design a campus that would respect the ecclesiastical architectural history of the region, preserve the historical roots of the site and parish, and provide comfortable, functional spaces with modern amenities. The new church entry and narthex face the new community green, and the altar and chapel face into the landscape. This arrangement creates intimate green spaces between the buildings for future gardens and outdoor gatherings. A covered walkway connects the new and old churches, providing weather-proof passage.

The bright white exterior of the new church uses the traditional material language of a New England village church. Inside, light takes on a sculptural role, filtering in through the dormers and skylights to illuminate the space. Seating capacity nearly doubled, bringing parishioners closer to the altar. Locally-quarried granite in the custom made altar, ambo, tabernacle base, and font, adds texture and weight to the composition. The quality of space, light and architectural composition build on the history and memory of the previous church building, but clearly look to the future growth of a thriving religious community.