The Shepherd of the Valley Chapel was featured in PLUS Architecture and Interior Design magazine 2009 05.
Shepherd of the Valley Chapel
May 13th, 2009 § Olga
The Chapel’s Story
May 5th, 2009 § kynaleski
A project’s design gets launched by a diagram, a sketch that somehow holds together everything that is known about the project and can absorb what is coming. The sketch for the design of a chapel for Shepherd of the Valley, of Hope R.I., came out of many conversations and interviews with the parishioners, the two pastors and the building visions committee…their needs and aspirations for the church. SOV is the product of two churches, the Phenix and Hope Methodist Churches merging together in the seventies. Shortly after their merger they outgrew their prefab building and when we met them, we found that they outgrew their building again. The chapel is a part of a much larger master plan, also conducted by 3six0..which set the chapel’s footprint shape, size and location…a semi-attached pavilion that is a northern extension of the existing education wing. The western wall was determined not to be parallel to the eastern wall, but instead it would swing in, forming a trapezoidal plan. This would define a more open space on the exterior of the west side of the chapel.
The diagram gained insight as a kind of accident. In one of our presentations to the church, we realized with embarrassment that we had forgotten the spire on our model of the existing church. Then, after adding a spire to the model, we found that it kept being knocked off. So I thought, “what is a spire anyway?” and looked the word “spire” up in the dictionary. What I found addressed the purpose, history, aspirations of openness, expansion and the specific diagram of the chapel.
I found that the word, “spire,” comes from the Latin root, “spirare,” or “spirit.” “Spirare” is also the root of “inspire, ” “respire,” and “spiral,” a geometry that is always expanding and contracting like breath.
At the same time, we were starting to work on the chapel’s design, with the narrowing trapezoidal plan and its supporting perimeter walls. We found that if the ceiling’s geometry is square to each supporting wall, instead of being a compromised geometry in between the two walls, the lines of the geometry continue to spiral around like a string wrapping the space. This became a convincing order for the design of the chapel: the geometry of the ceiling/roof and floor spirals north setting the structure, windows, and ceiling/wall acoustic fins.
Now looking back at the facades of the historic churches…the ones that formed Shepherd of the Valley, you can see something that is very interesting.
The Phenix Church is on shown on top. It has its structure out of sight, within its skin of siding. The Hope Church, shown second, has its structure poking out from the skin of siding and its roof is sucked in. It is as though the two churches where inhaling and exhaling: the body carving a cavity, the skin taut, revealing structure on the inhale and the body and skin relaxing on the exhale.
RISD Faculty Biennial
February 23rd, 2009 § Manuel
The RISD Faculty Biennial just opened at the Chace Center last week and 3six0 has several pieces on display.
Model of Stix restaurant in Boston
Model of chapel at Shephard of the Valley Church
In addition to full time faculty members, Kyna Leski and Chris Bardt, all four part-time faculty members in the office, Aaron Brode, Olga Mesa, Jack Ryan and Manuel Cordero, each submitted office work for inclusion. Go check it out…it’s on display until March 15, 2009.
Shepherd of the Valley on Archinnovations
January 30th, 2009 § Karynn
Today Shepherd of the Valley is featured on Archinnovations. Back in November, the site also featured our work on STIX Restaurant and Lounge in Boston.
For more on Shepherd of the Valley check out these posts:
ProJo Finds Treasure in 3six0
Maeda on 3six0 and 3six0 on Maeda
Connecting Architecture and Spirituality
Connecting Architecture and Spirituality
January 16th, 2009 § Karynn
While exploring the intersections of faith and design this week, I came across this article from Theooze.com, “The ‘Body Art’ Of Emerging Church.” The article explores the relationship of architecture to spirituality, and intrigued by this, I emailed the author, Paul Fromont, about 3six0’s Shepherd of the Valley project. Paul replied with a gracious email and offered to include us on his blog, Prodigal Kiwi. Check out his latest post, “Architecture, Space, Spirit and the Journey of a Church Community,” which highlights Shepherd of the Valley and links to his reflections on architecture, the church, and spirituality.
RISD, Maeda, and 3six0
January 9th, 2009 § Karynn
As you may know, both Kyna and Chris are faculty at RISD in addition to being the principals of 3six0. Recently, the Shepherd of the Valley project was featured on RISD’s blog, which is written by RISD president John Maeda and staff.
Maeda was also recently interviewed by Dezeen, a magazine featuring architecture and design. Click below for the full interview.
A Night of Awards
December 5th, 2008 § Karynn
Last night 3six0 received two awards from the Rhode Island AIA at its awards dinner. Here’s a brief description of each project:
Achilles – Honor Award
The clients approached 3six0 with an outside of the box concept: a store / restaurant / bar / gallery for a former warehouse space in Boston’s Fort Point Channel District. This unconventional problem demanded an innovative solution: instead of compartmentalizing the different programs in the deep but narrow space, 3six0 developed a design which allowed the different activities to overlap. Inspired by the strength of the concrete and steel industrial shell, we designed a system of 28 glass and steel merchandise cases riding on steel rails mounted to the ceiling. The cases roll open during the retail hours and agglomerate into clustered vaults at night; transforming the retail space into the extension of the bar/lounge beyond. The chef wanted flexibly sized tables, for the small, medium, large and extra large dishes of his menu. Groupings of 2-tops was an obvious solution, but the uneven existing floor caused uneven joints between the tables. We developed a rail system that supports the tabletops and allows them to slide and group.
Shepherd of the Valley – Honor Award
The construction of a new freestanding chapel is the first stage of expansion for the Shepherd of the Valley church. 3six0 developed a tectonic based on the concept of “spirare” (spirit), “inspirare” (breath) and “spiral”, expansion and contraction. The geometry of the ceiling/roof and floor spirals north setting the structure, windows, and ceiling/wall acoustic fins.
We are honored by the AIAri’s recognition and also congratulate our colleagues on their achievements from this past year. A full list of winners is available on their website.
ProJo Finds Treasure in 3six0
November 7th, 2008 § Karynn
3six0 recently unveiled its first church, which was created for the Shepherd of the Valley Church. On Wednesday, William Morgan over at the Providence Journal wrote a review of our work entitled, “A treasure of a new church.”
Morgan writes
Consecrated in October, the chapel is small and unassuming — an inexpensive addition to an ordinary church on a road far from “downtown.” Almost in spite of itself, the 60-seat chapel achieves a quality and dignity that fancier buildings with huge budgets rarely achieve.
. . .
[3six0] imagined the building as an endless spiral. The floor, ceiling, and tapering, slightly pitched walls — built of cedar and Brazilian mahogany — form a continuous container, almost as if the chapel interior were the inside of a wooden bowl made on a lathe. These details are as thoughtful as they are understated: Not obvious, they play on the subconscious and offer a slight tension, perhaps necessary when contemplating the metaphysical.
We are very appreciative to William Morgan and the ProJo for their review of our work.