SU0006059 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Architectural Narrative: Master Plan r The St. Bernard's Catholic Community will soon include a new church campus that will serve its 5,700 families and the growing community. A 2,000-seat church,multipurpose building, and pre-school and kindergarten through 8's grade school are master planned on a 20 acre site in Tracy, California. On the site,the plaza is the heart of the campus. The church, the multipurpose building,and the school all radiate from this plaza. The plaza creates the proper aesthetic setting for the church and gathers people in from the parking areas. A Mission influence is apparent in both the style and overall layout of the church which hearkens back to the Catholic roots in California. The three key elements on the exterior are the dome, the tower,and the main fagade of the church. The dome is directly over the altar. The tower marks the significance of the site as a holy community place. The church fagade announces itself as the entry to the church as it fronts the plaza and angles out to the main intersection of the site,Valpico and Corral Hollow Roads. Immediately inside the church from the plaza is a gathering space that embraces the plaza and its people with its outstretched arms. Support spaces lead away from the gathering space on the left and right. Straight ahead is the Sheep's Gate which leads into the baptistry and worship space. Pews providing seating for 2,000 people surround the altar 180 degrees. This configuration allows active community participation and good sight lines to the altar from every row. At the perimeter, an ambulatory with windows to admit natural light also provides views and access to cloistered gardens. The ceiling of the worship space softly springs up toward the dome directly above the altar. The result is a unified space that is clearly focused toward the altar. Behind the altar is a stained glass windowed chapel containing the Blessed Sacrament. rSupport functions such as classrooms, toilets, and administrative offices are placed around the perimeter of the church. These spaces buffer the gardens from the parking areas and help to create a serene setting once inside the facility. Arched covered walkways continue the traditional feel and connect the various support functions together. Through the master plan, the campus will grow as the needs and funds become available. At each step of the way, the facility will help the parish of St Bernard's better serve its parishioners, and continually remind us of the presence of God.