- Projects
- Religious
- Renovations / Additions
Location
Location
Size of Project
1,000 SF
Date of Completion
January 2023
Collaborator
Collaborator
One-of-a-Kind Catholic Church Pilot Design
The Church of the Nativity was conceived as a pilot project translating contemporary liturgical thought, informed by the writings of Rev. White, into a fully integrated architectural environment. The design brings together social gathering, worship, and ritual requirements within a cohesive spatial composition.
A soaring social space forms the heart of the building’s communal life. Defined by two-story glazing with arcing and angled glass planes, the space opens outward to views of the surrounding woods while drawing natural light deep into the interior. The geometry of the glazing and the vertical scale of the room establish a sense of movement and anticipation, creating a luminous gathering space that serves as both arrival and connection point.
The main worship space is conceived as a theatrical, tiered volume carefully aligned with traditional Catholic liturgical requirements. Seating, altar placement, procession routes, and sacramental elements are organized to support visibility, acoustics, and participation while maintaining the formal hierarchy essential to Catholic worship. The spatial configuration allows the congregation to engage closely with the liturgy without sacrificing reverence or ritual clarity.
Architectural elements—including ceiling forms, wall articulation, and integrated lighting—bind the social and worship spaces into a seamless whole. The transition from gathering to worship is achieved through shifts in volume, light, and orientation rather than abrupt separation, allowing the building to function as a unified sacred environment.
Church of the Nativity exemplifies a contemporary Catholic church design in which social and worship spaces are architecturally interdependent—each shaped to support community, ritual, and spiritual focus through form, light, and proportion.