FREELANCE DESIGN PROJECT
Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church, Allen, TX
Worship Center Renovation

The Project  
Students are invited to present a design concept for the renovation of the Worship Center of Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church.  We are calling it a concept since there is no guarantee any submitted design will exactly be used in the project.  Any changes to the liturgical space must be approved Diocese of Dallas.  However, submissions will be on display and parishioners will be allowed to select their favorite design concept.  The designer with the most votes will be awarded a $1000 scholarship. 

There are pictures of the current Worship Center included.  If there are any questions, or a request to personally view the Church, they should be directed to either:
Tim Stephens, tpstep54@gmail.com,  (214) 218-8462                            
Gary McGinnis, themassoct@aol.com, (972) 342-2810
                                          
Purpose of the project  
The current Church was originally intended to be a temporary Worship Center, with plans to eventually build a new Church at another site on our existing 21 acres.  The current building would then be converted into a multi-purpose facility.  While that could still happen, it would be several years in the future.  The parish is pursuing a renovation to the Worship Center, so that it might look and feel more like a place of worship.  The current structure has an industrial feel, with a high ceiling that has exposed steel beams and air conditioning ducts. 

Design considerations
Ceiling:  The current height of the ceiling is problematic.  Changing light bulbs is both difficult and dangerous.  The cost of heating and air conditioning the building is affected by that extra space.  Ideally, the ceiling would be lowered.  This would also hide the steel beams and air conditioning duct.  The current lights can be lowered, so wiring is available if new fixtures are included in the design.  There are also two speakers toward the front of the church that are at the same level as the current lights and would need to be relocated.  On both sides of the sanctuary are liturgical banners that represent the seasons of the liturgical year. They are changed with each season using a mechanism that raises and lowers the banners.  New ceiling placement should not encumber the enclosure for that mechanism.

Lighting:  The current lights can be lowered, so wiring is available if new fixtures are included in the design.  There are three sources of natural light in the existing space. 

Above the Crucifix in the front of the church is a stained-glass window.  The photos that are attached were taken in the morning, so it is difficult to see.  A separate picture is included that shows the window with the lights off and later in the day. The window is surrounded by grey concrete. 

Just below the ceiling on both sides of the church is a row of windows.  Do not assume that those windows would need to be in your design.  New windows could be installed to accommodate the lower ceiling.  Be sensitive to the Stations of the Cross that are located halfway up the wall.

The third source of natural light are vertical windows on each side wall.  Even though they are narrow, there are times during the day that they allow a fair amount of light.

Colors:  The primary concern is the color of any wood that is suggested.  One of our parishioners built the sanctuary, which is the raised area of the worship center where the priest, deacons and other ministers celebrate the Mass. He also built the altar, the Ambo (podium), the tabernacle and most pieces that adorn the sanctuary.  Any wood coloring should complement the existing wood.  He also built the risers where the cantor, choir and musicians sit.

Seating:  The current blue chairs are old and showing wear.  Replacement seating should be part of the design.  While pews are most common in Catholic churches, suitable alternatives would be considered.  Complementary seating should be considered for the music area, whether chairs or pews.

There are two chairs on the left side of the sanctuary.  These are for the priest and deacon while they celebrate the Mass. It is common to see the priest’s chair be taller than the deacon’s chair.  The priest’s chair should be the one closest to the congregation.