Project 3: Light

For this project, I have been selected to design a proposed non-denominational chapel located on the campus of Farmingdale State College. The College wants this to be a profoundly spiritual place that people of all faiths can worship and reflect on life’s events. The College believes this can be achieved by the creative use of light. The College has outlined a preliminary program that is listed below. A site has yet to selected on campus; the College is looking for guidance from the Architect. The building should be integrated into the fabric of the campus. The College explicitly requests the design not be symmetrical.

Preliminary Program:

Chapel (Sacred Spaces - light oriented)

Main Sanctuary; 50 people
Memorial Chapel (small - looking back on loss and regret)
Meditation Chapel (small - looking forward on life's choices)
Lobby

Offices / Utility (Secular - built context oriented)

Secretary Office
Clergy’s Office
Small Library and Conference Room
Storage
Toilets

Contextual Analysis

Circulation

Building Heights

Spaces

Function

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

For testing light on #-D models, I had taken a great deal of in inpiration from The Chapel Of St Ignatius, designed by architect Steven Holl from 1994-1997.

Box 1

Box 2

Box 3

3-D Light Sketch Models

Site Selection

For choosing the location on campus for the chapel, I ultimately decided to place my chapel around the oval space of the campus. I was mostly intrigued by the circulation that exists in the pathways of the area.