Santos Woodcarving Popsicles: March 2024

12 March 2024

Accessibility Project at St. Mary's ~ Great write-up from our architects, VSBA

VSBA has completed a new entry pavilion
and accessibility upgrades at Philadelphia's historic
St. Mary's Episcopal Church

Fitting In While Standing Out

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church is a noted historical structure, one component of a grand cathedral design never completed. For years they understood a need for transition space at their main entrance. And since many of their congregants have mobility issues, a lack of accessibility was a major impediment.

VSBA’s entry pavilion creates a new face for the building. For our design, context was paramount. The new structure acknowledges the church’s masonry materials, colors, and scale while expressing itself as an independent modern addition. The effect is a distinct new iteration that handsomely complements the church. It fits in while standing out, relates but doesn’t imitate. And the entry creates a powerful new physical and visual link from parking through the landscape into the church.

Beside the pavilion, a renewed bluestone terrace is a flexible place for small gatherings or even services. It extends into the landscape, with a dotted path leading down to gardens and cemetery. A large stone cross relocated to this site commemorates Bishop Thomas James Garland, buried at the church. On the lawn, a large old tree overhangs the pavilion; we went to lengths to base the design around the tree, ensuring its health throughout construction.

Comfort and Warmth

Inside, the pavilion offers lightness and transparency. The space is large enough for people to meet and linger; comfy window seats provide places to sit and talk. The natural wood ceiling brings warmth and the stone flooring links the outside bluestone pavers with slate inside the hallway. As for all our projects, we considered sustainable materials and approaches: operable windows provide natural ventilation and the vestibule fundamentally cuts down energy usage while increasing comfort.

Inside the sanctuary we promoted universal accessibility. We replaced the existing stair from the hallway up into the sanctuary to accommodate a new lift. We modified mechanical, electrical, and structural systems, improved life safety, and gently integrated all new elements within the historical nave and sanctuary spaces.

VSBA specializes in complex renovations and expansions, from strategic additions to major transformations. See more of our renovation projects at VSBA.com.

VSBA.com

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