The summer 2009 issue of ArchitectColorado includes two features on projects at Holy Trinity. ArchitectColorado is the professional journal of the Colorado Component of the American Institute of Architects. This issue has a focus on religious architecture. Holy Trinity and Integration Design Group are featured in two articles.
The first article is “A Shared Vision of the Sacred” by Chryss Cada. Cada covers three religious projects that involved many different decision makers. Cada starts with this quote:
Any architect who has worked with more than one owner on a project knows how difficult it can be to form a shared vision, so imagine the task when there are several hundred opinions to take into account.
Here is the part of the article referencing Holy Trinity’s Chapel:
Excerpt: Architect Colorado, Volume 5, Issue 1, pp 14 – 16:
| A Shared Vision of the Sacred |
HOLY TRINITY ADORATION CHAPEL |
| Knowledge of a faith’s religious practices is often a major consideration in selection of an architect for a house of worship.Father John Hilton was specifically looking for a “great Catholic architect” for the remodel of the Holy Trinity Adoration Chapel at his Westminster, Colo., church.
“Asking someone who doesn’t go to Mass, who doesn’t worship at a Catholic Church, to design a Catholic chapel would be like asking a Christian to design a mosque,” he said. “The architect needs to be familiar with what the building he designs is going to be used for.” The contract for the $200,000 remodel of the 1,000-square-foot chapel was awarded to Henderson, Colo.-based Integration Design Group, PC. This was the firm’s first religious architecture venture. “It is our hope that religious architecture will remain the central focus of our firm in the years ahead,” said Adam Hermanson, AIA, principal at Integration Design Group. “These buildings carry great significance for those who come to worship within them, and the design of sacred architecture is one way in which we serve both God and God’s people. Hermanson, the project architect, had worked on several other churches during his design career prior to founding Integration Design Group in 2006. “A lot of people see only the challenges of religious architecture because the opportunities aren’t as apparent,” Hermanson said. “But growth well done can enhance the spiritual life of a congregation. What we’re actually doing when we work on a church is to help build up the community.” Hermanson said attendance and membership often increase in a new or remodeled building. That has been the case at the renovated Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity. Built in the 1960s as part of a convent, the chapel was very simple. Holy Trinity Catholic Church first approached the firm to design a new altar for the exposition and adoration of the Eucharist. The project developed from an altar design into a complete renovation of the chapel.Design elements include a new carved limestone and travertine altar, red onyx niches and a wood and stone altar rail. The finishes were selected to complement two icons in the chapel written by a parishioner trained in the authentic egg tempera method. “I gave them very general ideas, such as wanting it to be noble, prayerful and exemplify a rich dignified beauty, and he took it from there,” Hilton said. “I was brought in at every stage of the project for back-and-forth discussions.” Integration Design Group is now the architect for the $2.5 million renovation of Holy Trinity’s main church. A town hall approach is being used to incorporate parishioners’ opinions into the renovation. “The town hall meetings are very enjoyable because you can feel the excitement in the community as they work together to articulate their vision for their church,” Hermanson said. “There’s no other space besides a family’s home that brings with it such a powerful sense of ownership.” |
Architect: INTEGRATION DESIGN GROUP, PC – Adam Hermanson, AIA Location: Westminster, Colorado Construction Cost: $190,000.00 Scope: Project included a complete interior renovation including: tile flooring; lighting; finishes; stone altar; stone and wood altar rail; new HVAC system; and new accessible restroom. Exterior modifications included: new roof; accessibility improvements, entrance door and window replacements. Completion: May 2008 Owner: Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Other Notable Projects by INTEGRATION DESIGN GROUP, PC:
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Other buildings featured in this article include the Aish Ahavas Synagogue in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and the Buckley Air Force Base Chapel Center.
The Colorado Component of the American Institute of Architects can be found at www.aiacolorado.org. Click the link for the order form to order your copy of ArchitectColorado.
[...] adorers, for instance, tell me that they find rest and gather strength every time they visit the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel: that was our goal, and it has been our goal as we planned, designed and transformed the church. I [...]
[...] adorers, for instance, tell me that they find rest and gather strength every time they visit the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel: that was our goal, and it has been our goal as we planned, designed and transformed the church. I [...]