CHAPEL PROJECT
The design concept for the wedding chapel is based on the idea of suspending reality through the exploration of the mind’s process in capturing memories. Billions of nerve cells throughout the body take in sensory information within the environment. Once filtered, patterns form in the brain to recall the experience. The chapel design allows visitors to interact with the parts and processes involved in memory making while actively making memories themselves.
Inspiration Images: St. Benedict Chapel | Sumvitg, Switzerland and OVUUD | Philadelphia, PA
Clientele
THE SITE
Dripping Springs, TX
Dripping Springs, TX
The chapel is a rectangle in the middle of a large circular buffalo grass field. The edge of the circle is defined by thick groves of live oaks, junipers and other untamed native plants. There are no grounds to explore. There are no walking paths to wind. Nature encircles and conceals the sustainably-built environment. Arriving guests enter a magic plane where nature surrounds and preserves a man-made structure.
Site plan
Front entrance
East exterior elevation
THE FOYER
The foyer is an intimate gray space where guests first enter the building. The space is a physical representation of the stillness one feels before the mind begins to acknowledge external stimuli. The gray finishes within the foyer create a sense of calm, minimize distractions and enhance mindfulness.
The foyer is an intimate gray space where guests first enter the building. The space is a physical representation of the stillness one feels before the mind begins to acknowledge external stimuli. The gray finishes within the foyer create a sense of calm, minimize distractions and enhance mindfulness.
Foyer seating rendering
THE CHAPEL
The chapel is the hub of the building. All the essential and memorable events take place in this room. Lighting above the ceremonial space, as well as in the lights in guests seats, mimic patterns formed when sensory and emotional cells are stimulated. Curved walls enclose the ceremonial space and provide an intimate setting during the ceremony.
The chapel is the hub of the building. All the essential and memorable events take place in this room. Lighting above the ceremonial space, as well as in the lights in guests seats, mimic patterns formed when sensory and emotional cells are stimulated. Curved walls enclose the ceremonial space and provide an intimate setting during the ceremony.
CHAPEL SEATING
The resin seating mimics the translucent properties of alabaster. The engineered stone seating houses a pressure-activated sensor. When guests sit down, the pressure sensor illuminates the seat from within. A full room makes the chapel glow and acts as a visual trigger for the memory making process to begin.
The resin seating mimics the translucent properties of alabaster. The engineered stone seating houses a pressure-activated sensor. When guests sit down, the pressure sensor illuminates the seat from within. A full room makes the chapel glow and acts as a visual trigger for the memory making process to begin.
