PROJECT Blooming Lotus Interfaith Chapel of Peace
LOCATION Quang Binh Province, Vietnam
PROJECT COMPLETION DATE 5/12/2016
PROJECT CATEGORY Community College / Design Project
PROJECT TYPE Studio
ENTRANT Nha Huynh Luu
TEAM MEMBERS
SCHOOL Anne Arundel Comunity College
FACULTY SPONSOR Michael Ryan, Professor / Architecture
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
The project is a non-denominational worship and meditation space set in a natural environment of the students’ choice. The goal is to develop a space that is universal and encourages connections between individuals and the between individuals and the environment. The design should strive to create a sense of spirituality, peace and contemplation through light, scale, form and nature. Designs should demonstrate a responsible relationship with the environment through the use of sustainable and recycled materials and alternative energy sources. The complex is to be used by all for worship and a variety of structured activities including religious services, weddings, funerals, memorial services, rites of passage and individual contemplation. Site considerations include the relationship of the chapel to its natural surroundings, site topography, orientation relative to environmental and landscape features, and the nature of the procession from the outside to the chapel.
STUDENT'S STATEMENT
The challenge of this project is to design a meditation chapel that blends itself to its surrounding environment and allows one to get away from materialistic life to focus on their inner-self and spiritual belief. The project is located three miles away from the largest cave in the world, Son Doong cave in Vietnam. The concept was drawn mainly from a lotus, a significant symbol in Vietnam, which symbolizes spiritual awakening and enlightenment. This project is to celebrate procession through entry, path and arrival. As visitors arrive at the site, they will be introduced to the design concept upon entry into the portal, which combined with the pathway leads one to the arrival point of the chapel. Through the portal, one can sense the spiritual and mystical feelings creating by highlighting contrast coming from above versus the solid and narrow structure on both sides. The building is an inorganic enclosed space within the organic forms that incorporate indirect circulation to blend harmonically with the organic forms of the outdoor environment. The curved petal structures overlap and fold inward to surround the floating chapel and act as thermal mass walls for cooling. They allow filtered light to enter through the roof, reflecting back into the chapel. By using treated bamboo timber, a sustainable material with high tensile and compressive strength that is available at site, the construction helps to reduce cost and habitat loss. Due to a high amount of rain at this region, the chapel’s roof is sloped, which also allows for rainwater capture. Located in International Climate Zone 3A with primarily hot and humid climate, this project would comply with the regulations of 2015 IECC.
IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS
IMAGE 1: Side Hand Rendered Elevation
IMAGE 2: Hand Rendered Interior Elevation
IMAGE 3: Portal Model
IMAGE 4: Chapel Study Model
IMAGE 5: Chapel Tectonic 1
IMAGE 6: Chapel Tectonic 2
IMAGE 7: Chapel Inspiration
MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Blooming Lotus Interfaith Chapel of Peace
Category
AIA Maryland Student Design Awards > Community College > Community College / Design Project
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