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PROJECT: Holy Rosary
Church Complex / St. Amant, Louisiana, U.S.A

AWARDS:
2005
National AIA | American Institute of Architects Honor Award
HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH COMPLEX
National AIA | Educational Facilities Design Award
HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH COMPLEX

2004
Fondazione Frate Sole | International Award For Sacred Architecture
2nd Place | HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH COMPLEX
Faith & Form | The Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture
(IFRAA)
Design Honor Award For Religious Architecture | New Facilities
HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH COMPLEX
Louisiana AIA | Honor Award of Excellence
HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH COMPLEX
Louisiana AIA | Baton Rouge | Rose Award for Design Excellence
HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH COMPLEX
McGraw-Hill Best of 2004 | Louisiana Contractor
HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH COMPLEX
American Concrete Institute | Louisiana Chapter
Award of Excellence
HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH COMPLEX

PROJECT ARCHITECT: Trahan Architects: Victor F. Trey Trahan
III, AIA
DESIGN ARCHITECT: Trahan Architects: Victor F. Trey Trahan
III, AIA
OTHER MEMBERS:
Structural Engineer: Schrenk & Peterson Consulting Engineers
Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Engineer: Apex Engineering Corporation
BUILDER: Quality Design and Construction, Inc.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Hursley / The Arkansas Office

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Trahan Architects
An international award-winning architectural firm, Trahan Architects has
built a reputation for excellent design. Victor F. Trey Trahan
III, AIA, President and Principal-in-charge, remains personally involved
in each project from start to finish.
The recipient of three National AIA Honor Awards in the U.S., the Award
of Merit in the International Prize for Sacred Architecture, two international
design competitions in Beijing, China and numerous state and regional
design awards, Trahan Architects has been published internationally for
its design.

Since 1992, Trahan Architects has approached projects by identifying early
on the need to personalize each project specific to the client and the
users, tending closely to details of programming, masterplanning, design
development and technology implementation. This method accurately reflects
the philosophy of individuality and creativity that the firm embodies.
Trahan Architects has also been recognized extensively for creative use
of materials and the use of natural light in design.
In addition to ecclesiastical clients, Trahan Architects clients include
financial and academic institutions, medical and industrial facilities,
and state and local governments. Trahan Architects sports facility
design Holy Rosary Churchm is one of the fastest growing sports architecture
groups in the country, bringing high end design to collegiate athletic
facilities.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Holy Rosary Catholic Church Complex
The Holy Rosary Chapel commission is an honest exploration of form, function,
natural light and materials, providing an engaging and profound study
in sacred space. The oratory is the focal point of its rural Roman Catholic
campus, predominant by its unique placement and floating within the sacred
precinct of a courtyard space.

The masterplan of the rural campus creates a strong sense of place for
all functions of the Parish, drawing a distinction between the programs
sacred and secular components. Secular components of the campus take form
as linear or edge buildings defining a courtyard where the
oratory is located. Traversing the courtyard in a clockwise direction,
the path leads ultimately to the oratory. In the opposite direction, the
path leads always back to the community.

The oratory, like a crescendo in music, creates a deliberate break in
the fabric of the campus. The resulting void space between the oratory
and the secular pieces create an outdoor room appropriate for large communal
gatherings, smaller gatherings or private meditation near the chapel.

Design of the oratory stems from the concept of identifying a pure, comfortable,
sacred space every human has experienced the womb. Since the womb
has no orientation of up or down, all sides are treated equally, thus
evoking a strong sense of mystery. All six sides of the oratory cube are
the same size, color and texture to create this same lack of orientation
and resulting in the same sense of mystery. This careful and deliberate
challenge of ones sense of place continues through the rotation
between exterior and interior space.

The geometric basis for the parti of the oratory was derived from the
Japanese four and a half Tatami rug configuration. This non-hierarchical
system accommodates the numerous seating configurations for liturgical
purposes.

To satisfy the human desire for definition, apertures were created to
introduce natural light to the oratory interior. Light enters through
a variety of openings carved from the wall thickness without revealing
context or light source beyond. In addition to giving occupants a sense
of orientation, the obscured presence of light is symbolic of the paschal
mystery of Christ.

The transition into the oratorys sacred space is also celebrated
through an experience of light. A single threshold containing a sculptural
cast-glass door has been designed to gather and refract light. Lens-shaped
in plan, the doors glass structure varies in dimension across its
width, narrowest at its edge, 12 mm, and widest at its center, 75 mm.
When approached, edges of the door appear to glow with the illumination
from within.

Another of the design philosophies employed at Holy Rosary was to avoid
the use of costly or rare materials. InsHoly Rosary Churchd, materials
naturally abundant in this region were utilized, allowing the materials
to become radiant and glorified through proper use. The palette of materials
is limited to board-formed concrete, plate glass and cast glass.

Neither opulent nor austere, Holy Rosary Chapel presents a thoughtful
meditation on sacred spaces and the spatial embodiment of spiritual experience.

HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH COMPLEX
Client Brief - Intended use of building, special needs / priorities, client
profile
The client is a rural Catholic Parish in South Louisiana with strong French
influence. There are three buildings in the first phase of the Holy Rosary
Complex an administration building housing the administrative functions
of the parish; the religious education building; and the oratory, or chapel
for the celebration of the rites. The oratory is intended for the daily
use of small assemblies, less than 50 congregants. The parish desired
a relationship between the oratory, the existing church and for there
to be a place of prominence for this chapel in the new complex of buildings.
The client also required the new complex to play an important role in
the community life of the predominantly Catholic residents.

Considerations - budget, environment, heritage, council restrictions,
site
Holy Rosary Parish originated in March 1905 and currently serves 2,273
families. The parish and its complex is primarily a rural environment.
The site consists of 15 acres, is predominantly flat and has no restrictions.

Energy Efficient Design/Materials:
Administrative and educational structures are characterized by entire
walls of floor to ceiling glazing. Situated on the north face, these glass
walls offer generous lighting and uninterrupted view without requiring
excessive energy use to control solar gain. Further protection is afforded
by the wing-like canopies designed to protect circulation paths adjacent
to the glass wall. Interior temperature of the oratory is regulated by
the thermal mass of cast-in-place concrete walls, up to 7 feet thick in
some areas.

Design Resolution - design concept, planning; implementation of client
brief; the use of colour, lighting materials etc to reflect and/or enhance
the concept; difficulties encountered & their resolution

The masterplan of the rural campus creates a strong sense of place for
all functions of the Parish, drawing a distinction between the program's
sacred and secular components. Secular functions of the campus take form
as linear or "edge" buildings designed to define a courtyard,
or sacred precinct, where the oratory is located. Concrete canopies parallel
the linear edge buildings and serve as present-day interpretation of the
relationship between conditioned and semi-conditioned space.

The oratory, like a crescendo in music, creates a deliberate break in
the fabric of the campus. Position, formal purity and height reflect the
importance of the spiritual program and serve to distinguish the chapel
from its surroundings. Rotation of the chapel further underscores the
distinct orientation of secular and sacred lives. The geometric basis
for the parti of the oratory was derived from the Japanese four and a
half Tatami rug configuration. This non-hierarchical system accommodates
the numerous seating configurations for liturgical purposes.

To satisfy the human desire for definition, apertures were created to
introduce natural light to the oratory interior. Light enters through
a variety of openings carved from the wall thickness without revealing
context or light source beyond. In addition to giving occupants a sense
of orientation, the obscured presence of light is symbolic of the paschal
mystery of Christ. More directly, each aperture is a meditation on a single
episode of the paschal journey, metaphors for the passage of death, resurrection,
ascension and eternal presence.

Construction how particular factors influenced the choice of materials
& construction methods, interesting solution etc.
Regular meetings were held with the congregations to inform them of Vatican
II interpretation and the importance of using materials from the site
to create a unique design. Vatican II documents called for materials that
were appropriate and permanent. The parish mandated the use of materials
that were appropriate and of low maintenance. Cast-in-place concrete was
chosen to satisfy these requirements based on its physical performance
and intrinsic beauty, reflecting nature in its depth and irregularity
of finish and color.

Concrete also allowed the architects to create a visual relationship between
the construction of the new oratory and the original church. The textured
cypress lap siding of the existing church is echoed in the embossed patterns
and wood textures of the board formed oratory exterior and interior surfaces.
The secular use of the administrative and education buildings is distinguished
through a contrasting smooth surface formed by conventional 4 x
10 high-density overlay boards. Composed of materials from the site,
concrete color in both installations was unique to the region.

The transition into the oratory's sacred space is also celebrated through
an experience of light. A single threshold containing a sculptural cast-glass
door has been designed to gather and refract light. Lens-shaped in plan,
the door's glass structure varies in dimension across its width, narrowest
at its edge, 12 mm, and widest at its center, 75 mm. When approached,
edges of the door appear to glow with the illumination from within.
Holy Rosary Church Building - text / images from Trahan Architects
Jun08
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Holy Rosary
Church : Trahan Architects
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