LIGHT IN COMMUNITY: a study in the adaptive reuse of sacred space

ABSTRACT MOTIVATION American life is increasingly fragmented, leading to a sense of restlessness and disconnection. Much of that fragmentation can be traced to our pattern of architectural and sociological development, namely, the rise of the automobile suburbs in the 1950s and 60s and the abandonment of densely populated, human- scaled environments like that of the small town or city center (Oldenberg, 1999). PROBLEM Large numbers of architecturally significant buildings have fallen into disrepair over the years following the “white flight” of the 1960s and 70s, during which significant segments of investment dollars left city centers and followed to the suburbs (Kunstler, 1994). Specifically, older church buildings have fallen victim to a dilemma of sociological change. Many of the congregations that inhabit historic church buildings do not have the vitality, vision, and sometimes funds to maintain their buildings. While there are many newer congregations that do have the vision and vitality to maintain an older building, they often do not have the funds to do so. As a result, an increasing number of community treasures, buildings built at a dense urban and human scale, are being lost to neglect and misuse. METHODS In order to gain a clearer and more specific understanding of the issues involved in revitalizing and maintaining historic sacred spaces for the benefit of their communities, a course of study was undertaken which included readings of books and articles on urban revitalization such as “The Past and Future City” by Stephanie Meeks, those on third place like Ray Oldenberg’s classic, “The Great Good Place”, and some on the integration of the arts in community centers and shared space. Case studies of successful adaptive reuse projects of church and synagogue buildings, such as Maison de la Littérature in Quebec City and those undertaken by Partners for Sacred Places in Philadelphia, were investigated. Interviews were conducted with leaders from both older and newer urban congregations, and with directors of local community centers and for-profit businesses. RESULTS According to studies completed by The National Trust, historic buildings help a city to maintain its urban vitality, and maintaining stock of old buildings must be an important component of any serious conversation about sustainability in the built environment (Meeks, 2016). At the same time, many historic and architecturally significant buildings which were constructed at a time when church attendance was a larger part of the American cultural experience are falling into disrepair because the congregations that inhabit them are often unable to generate the energy, vitality, and funding that is necessary to maintain them. REFLECTIONS/CONCLUSIONS This project will explore the development of a community center for education and the performing arts in an historic church building. The program will include a small cafe, rentable studio space, a library/ reading room, a performance venue, and event space. Research will support development of a third place model, successful adaptive reuse of sacred space, and will explore options for cost-effective renovation of an historic space

Church buildings "Documentation and analytic study of church buildings in Basra city"

هنالك مبان لها قيمهٌ معماريهٌ مميزه تتعرض للاندثار والزوال لاسباب ترتبط بالاهمال وسوء الاستعمال او لاسباب ترتبط بالجوانب المناخيه وغيرها من العوامل. ومن هذه المباني الابنية الدينية ومنها  ابنية الكنائس في المدن المختلفة, ومنها مدن العراق التي تحوي اغلب مدنها على هذا النمط البنائي, اذ سيتطرق البحث إلى هذا النوع من الابنية لما تمثلة من خزين ثقافي ومعماري فضلا عن اهميتها الدينية والاجتماعية والثقافية. تناول البحث ابنية الكنائس من حيث نشوءها تاريخاً وتطورها وانماطها البنائية وأبرز العناصر التصميمة لهذه الابنية التي يميزها عن غيرها من المباني, اذ تطرق البحث الي العديد من الدراسات والطروحات المعمارية الخاصة بابنية الكنائس, ومن خلال نقدها تم بلورة المشكلة البحثية والمتمثلة بعدم وجود دراسة متخصصة بتوثيق كنائس مدينة البصرة في منطقتي العشار والبصرة, اذ تمثلت منهجية البحث درسة عمارة ابنية الكنائس في البصرة وتوثيقها بصورة عملية واكاديمية [1]وبيان ابرز خصائصها وسماتها المعمارية والحضرية كونها جزء من النسيج الحضري البصري, لغرض الحفاظ عليها, اذ توصل البحث إلى مجموعة من الاستنتاجات والتوصيات لتحقيق هدف البحث.   [1] واجهه الباحث الكثير من الصعوبات منها: ان اغلب المباني المراد توثيقها قد تحولت استخدامها الى سكن للعوائل او انها مهجوراً ومغلقة الابواب, كذلك فان اغلب بنيت في فترات زمينة بعيده تعود الي القرن التاسع عشر وتعرضت الى العديد من الصيانه او التهديم او التغيرات او اهملت واندثرت.There are buildings with distinctive architectural values exposed to extinction and disappearing for reasons associated with neglect and abuse, or for reasons linked to aspects of climatic and other factors. One of these buildings are religious buildings, including the buildings of churches in various cities, including the cities of Iraq, which most cities contain this structural pattern of religious buildings, as it will address research into this type of buildings, as it represents the cultural stocks and architectural as well as religious, social and cultural importance. The research buildings churches in terms of emergence history and evolution and patterns of structural and highlighted Altsamama elements of these buildings, which distinguishes it from other buildings, as it touched search to many studies and proposals architectural own buildings in the churches, and through the criticism has been crystallizing research problem, namely the lack of specialized study documented Churches the city of Basra in the regions of the publican and Basra, which required Bunting buildings churches building in Basra and documented informed and Academy and the statement the most prominent characteristics and traits of architectural and urban being a part of the visual urban fabric, for the purpose of maintaining, as research found a set of conclusions and recommendations for achieving the goal of the research

Church of the 21st-century

To the University of Beira Interior in Covilhã & Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, for the sympathy, assistance and the support shown.The research of this dissertation is focused on history of church buildings and examples of modern churches as an introduction for the designing process of the 21st-century church building in southern Poland, Kraków. I would like to introduce the history of church buildings over the centuries and explain why understanding church history is so relevant while designing a modern church. Church history is a journey that brought us to where we are today. Christianity, unlike any other religion, is deeply rooted in history. In modern church buildings the expressive and symbolic value of architectural elements and forms have been rediscovered. This study is essential in order to understand what a church building is really about. What is more, try to answer the question, what a church building stands for nowadays. I introduce some examples of modern churches in order to present different approaches of the symbolism and the vision for the designs. Studying the form, functions, materials, symbolism; has determined my vision for approaching the project - the Church of the 21st-century, placed in one of the most incredible Polish cities - Kraków

The Baptist Church in Warren: Rehabilitation and Preservation Report

The Baptist Church in Warren is located in the Warren Waterfront Historic National Register District. Warren also has a Voluntary Historic District. Both the National Register Nomination and the Voluntary Historic District have regulations which pertain to changes to the exterior view shed of the building. Exterior work on this project will need to abide by the State of Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations Rehabilitation Code for existing buildings and structures and the Town of Warren Department of Building and Zoning. Exterior work done on a voluntary basis, according to the Warren Voluntary Historic District guidelines, will qualify for a 20% tax credit. The Baptist Church in Warren does not meet the requirements for the local and state tax credit

Comparison of Static Model, Adaptation Study, and CFD Simulation in Evaluating Thermal Comfort Based on Köppen Climate Classification System in Churches in Indonesia

This research examined thermal comfort in  church buildings in Indonesia by making a comparison between three different Indonesian climatic regions using three different research models. A static model, an adaptation study model and a CFD simulation were used to find the similarities and differences between the results generated from determining thermal comfort in church buildings in the three regions. The comparison revealed that church buildings had different PMV scores at each measuring point that were inversely proportional to the subjects’ response on thermal comfort inside the buildings, i.e. points adjoining with openings affect a low PMV score and a high perceived thermal sensation, and vice versa. The CFD simulation showed that changing the conditions of the openings affects air velocity and flow into the building, which influences the subjects’ thermal comfort response inside the churches

Church Buildings Enter the Urban Age: a Louisiana Example of the Church in Settlement Geography (1885-1930).

The type of church building being erected today is quite different from the traditional white steepled church on the village green. Church buildings and their location in the community have gradually changed as American religion has become more complex. the changes in religion reflect the dramatic transformation of American society from a rural to an urban culture. This process began after the Civil War, but it was not widely acknowledged until the last decades of the nineteenth century. The transformation was not limited to the large urban centers, but can be seen in towns and villages across the nation. Various characteristics of urban places influence church development and location. Community size, type, vitality, and in Louisiana, dominant creed, play a role in the location and size of church buildings. Community size and vitality also influence the acceptance of new ideas and styles by the congregations. Besides community influences, a variety of other factors affect the type of church building that a congregation erects, these include the following: economic means, current theological or denominational trends, available materials, current technology, cultural and physical environments, access routes, lot size and location, and period of construction. Because each church is a group effort, it is a good indicator of the group\u27s ideal image. This image changes as new ideas are added to the ideal model of what a church building should look like and the functions it is to serve. During the early years of the study period, rectangular buildings with entranceways and projecting chancels were the most popular type of church. Towards the end of the study period, the ideal image began to change as the function of the church changed to include organizations for every age group and interest. The buildings reflected this with the addition of educational and recreational facilities. Denomination and race also influenced the erection of church structures, but these factors were often found not to be as great as has been traditionally supposed. Throughout Louisiana, and across the country, the church was entering the urban age

Correspondence from Blaine Holcomb to R.D. Martinez showing buildings in Mission, Texas

One letter accompanied by a page with photographs and sketches of the various buildings in Mission, Texas. Shown are the First Christian Church, the Methodist Church, Sharyland High School and Grade School, the Catholic Church, and the Presbyterian Church.https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/johnshary/1062/thumbnail.jp

Local churches and the conquest of the North : elite patronage and identity in Saxo-Norman Northumbria

The social implications of the Saxo-Norman transition are particularly intriguing in Northumbria, where Anglian, Scandinavian, and Norman social structures, identities, and traditions of material culture converged. In the north, where royal control was less secure and there was a history of political independence, negotiating the transition required a calculated balance of imposed authority and regard for the institutions of the past. Local churches, already established as a focal point of religious and secular manorial life, were one of the primary arenas in which this dialogue of power was carried out. Through an examination of the evidence for stone church buildings and funerary monuments in eleventh and twelfth-century Northumbria, this paper demonstrates how the elite utilized church patronage to negotiate authority and identity in a period of acute transition, and how the particular political and cultural characteristics of Yorkshire, County Durham, and Northumberland could affect this process