Taking inspiration from the Marty Leonard Community Chapel, designed by Fay Jones 1990, in Fort Worth, TX. Specifically how light interacts with the lamps in the Chapel to let it glow. The initial Ideal for the chapel was to turn the lamp into an inhabitable space.
The created site was sat inside a hill, with the first floor at the bottom of the hill and the second floor on top. This allows the massing of the chapel to maintain a thin profile while also having a large amount of space.
The chapel's spatial organization focus on the separation of sacred space and secular space while maintaining hierarchy between them.
The first floor is where the main entrance is, framed and placed in prominence, and leads to the community kitchen, event space and offices. These spaces are designed to be accessed by the community and by making the main entrance lead to these spaces it shows the main focus of the chapel is the community.
The community area is underground, and cannot have windows. It receives daylighting from skylights with angled polished metal panels that bounce light into the space without letting those above look directly in.
The second floor is accessed by twin stair that curve towards doors on the side of the atrium, creating chances for occupants to greet each other in the atrium before going into the sanctuary space. The vast atrium allows for a lot of light and it's height lets it feel more public for those at the chapel to interact.
The front of the second floor also has a balcony, which is half covered by the large overhang. This overhang covers almost all of the balcony balancing refuge and prospect. The balcony allows for visitors to greet those walking into the chapel and to enjoy the outdoor space.
The second floor is split by the elevator shaft, creating a transparent divide between the atrium and the sanctuary. The elevator shaft has a glass front to allow the users to experience the journey upward. The elevator is made out of the same material as the vertical extrusions, in order to blend in,
The sanctuary starts at the same height as the atrium but curves down to create a more intimate space. The space is lit by a stained glass window with its design derived from the gird lines used to create the façade and the pattern is emulating setting sun.
The skylight is orientated towards the south, allowing for light to enter through the stained glass at all times throughout the day.
The third floor occupies the roof, bringing the visitors to the level of the trees. The visitors get a panoramic view of the forest surrounding the chapel.
The vertical extrusions act like tree trunks rising above the roof level and making the visitors feel like they are still part of the forest.
