St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church
Chapel and Pastoral Offices
Pleasanton, California
This facility represented the first phase of design and construction from a Master Plan prepared by Aaron Green Associates (former employer).
The Chapel and Pastoral Offices (11,692 s.f.) were created as a contemporary structure of singular design that is functional, economical and provides multi-purpose use, both religious as well as secular. The building shares a skylighted garden Narthex with the Main Church, thereby uniting entrances and lobbies. Both buildings also share similar building materials and colors, as originally planned and initiated with the first phase Chapel. Common to both, as well, are boldly faceted asymmetrical pyramidal roof forms in direct linear arrangement and address of one another. They are both finished in copper panels with thick, raised battens arranged in a decorative pattern. These forms are space volumes over the Chapel and Main Church Sanctuary, the Church’s being the largest and most dominant, befittingly. The small Chapel’s pyramid roof is punctuated by diamond-shaped skylights.
The Chapel provides seating capacity for approximately 200 persons. Attached to, and extending from one end of the chapel is area containing the more private reconciliation rooms and the Chapel of the Eucharist. The Pastoral Offices, located in one wing reached from the central narthex provides for four clergy offices, plus clerical and ancillary functions. In the opposite wing are meeting rooms, separated from the pastoral offices in consideration of their greater activity and noise level. Both wings enjoy generous amounts of balanced daylighting from extensive fenestration on both south and north elevations and an upper clerestory. The spaces are protected from direct heat gain and sunlight penetration through the use of deep overhangs.
Building design by Aaron Green, FAIA. My role was as a member of the Production team producing the Construction Documents as well as sharing Construction Administration duties along with the Project Manager.
