Two rows of prominent columns define the main center aisle. Structural changes for the new addition required elimination of two main columns to avoid visually obstructing the altar. “If installed, the columns would stand exactly in front of the new altar,” said E. George Nixon, project manager for Yops & Wilkie. “Consequently, the beams overhead in that particular location have partner beams on either side and take up a greater span because of the removed column.” Two columns rest in the back of the altar, almost flanking the presider’s chair but offering an unobstructed view of the altar and pulpit.

A newly installed skylight travels the length of the center aisle, creating a pathway of light to the altar. The skylight pours natural light on the altar table, a custom carved and painted wood piece by Bellomo, who produced all of the altar furniture as well as the dramatic wood sculpture of the resurrected Christ adorning the altar area. The local artist also collaborated with Yops & Wilkie in the design of the church’s new baptismal font, mainly clad in porcelain and ceramic tile.
Beyond the church proper, Yops & Wilkie created a small gathering space along the length of the front elevation. A new wood and glass wall along the addition introduces additional natural light into the once cloistered sanctuary. “The wood wall was detailed to match the type of detailing in the existing building,” said Zanley. The gathering space also contains one of the church’s original stained-glass windows set in a new wood frame that nests in the building’s actual aluminum-framed window of tinted glass.

WIRING FOR A NEW ERA
This intricate project maintained the church’s rich past but upgraded the building systems and mechanical and electrical infrastructure of the expanded parish. Improvements include new electrical switchgear, new lighting controls, and new lighting fixtures that closely match the original lantern-shaped fixtures. Yops & Wilkie intermingled the new and old fixtures throughout the church, placing the original brass fixtures along the outer aisles and the new along the main center aisle. “This arrangement provides an equal blend of half old and half new light fixtures in the church,” said Zanley. Sound improvements include a new organ, speakers and sound system.
In terms of mechanical systems, Site Development maintained an existing underground steam line leading from the school boiler room to the church until a new gas-fired, forced air system was installed in the basement of the church

addition. In past decades, the church had been retrofitted with a rooftop-mounted, air-conditioning system with ductwork installed in the attic. This system was abandoned and a new HVAC system, with ductwork in the floor, was installed in the basement of the new addition. “Only part of the addition contains a basement; the front part is actually only a crawlspace,” said Nixon. “We only made the basement big enough to handle the mechanical units, piping and some ductwork. It was a puzzle to put together because of the small space.”

Some of the mechanical ductwork was installed in the existing church basement that was once used as a school cafeteria and impromptu parish activity center. The new school addition now houses these functions in a much brighter and more congenial atmosphere.

BACK TO SCHOOL
Through a grade-level entry and across a covered breezeway, the visitor enters the new 11,430-square-foot school addition, a much-needed space housing a cafeteria, large kitchen and a gymnasium that doubles as a parish activity center. A two-story, 1,180-square-foot addition on the south side of the school also provides space for an elevator, a computer lab, and kindergarten classrooms.

The main addition retains the homey feel of an old-fashioned schoolhouse but adds the contemporary benefits of natural light and expansive windows. The familiar checkerboard terrazzo flooring, common in the schools of the 1950s, marks the corridors of the existing school. The new addition replaces dull green and white squares with a bright and cheerful checkerboard of yellow and white terrazzo squares. Unlike the dimly light corridors of yesteryear, the main single-story corridor is lined with windows that pour light into the space. Likewise, the cafeteria has numerous windows overlooking the contemplative courtyard between school and church.

The cafeteria, kitchen, and the sunlit perimeter corridor are single-story sections that wrap around the gymnasium, blocking a full view of the tall, windowless structure from the street. “The front of the addition steps down and extends across the entire gymnasium, helping to maintain the same height as the lower front part of the church addition,” said Zanley. “The original church then steps up at the end of the campus, maintaining its prominence.”
The gymnasium is tucked into a tight corner