PROJECT Chapel of Reflection
LOCATION Denali National Park and Preserve, Denali, AK
PROJECT COMPLETION DATE 5/12/2016
PROJECT CATEGORY Community College / Design Project
PROJECT TYPE Studio
ENTRANT Ryan Harper
TEAM MEMBERS
SCHOOL Anne Arundel Community 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
This project was the design of an interfaith chapel with an outdoor gathering area located in a national park known for its unique natural features. The challenge was to create architectural forms capturing the symbolic features of the site through development and intense investigation of concepts and partis. The design will further demonstrate symbolism through a choreographed procession starting from the portal and arriving at the chapel.
This sacred mountain is located on Reflection Pond in the heart of Denali National Park and Preserve, due north of Mount McKinley. The design leads one on a spiritual journey to the most uplifting area of the park: The Chapel of Reflection.
Inspired by the geological features that have shaped the region over the past 56 million years, tectonic pressure has compressed plates causing the terrain to uplift from the surface of the earth. Influenced by this natural phenomenon, the design expresses converging forms that symbolize lateral pressure, creating a unifying force, an uplifting haven that bridges the religious and cultural chasms that have divided us.
The oblique approach to the building from the parking lot, guides one through the Portal that creates a path of uplifting forms symbolizing lateral pressure that is immediately lifted upon entry into the vestibule. Proceeding through the vestibule, the building’s main hallway opens to the south with a direct path to the chapel with views overlooking Reflection Pond with Mount McKinley in the background.
The design uses sustainable strategies such as natural daylighting through clerestory windows throughout the building. The structure itself is built using post and beam construction utilizing a compression ring to support the clerestory above the chapel. FSC certified heavy timber and laminated beams are used for the shell and regionally harvested and reclaimed material for the interior and exterior.
IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS
IMAGE 1: Chapel of Reflection_high res image 1, Final Model
IMAGE 2: Chapel of Reflection_high res image 2, Perspective
IMAGE 3: Chapel of Reflection_Site Plan, Site Plan
IMAGE 4: Chapel of Reflection_Floor Plan, Floor Plan
IMAGE 5: Chapel of Reflection_Southern Perspective, Southern Perspective
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MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Chapel of Reflection
Category
AIA Maryland Student Design Awards > Community College > Community College / Design Project
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