A New Multipurpose Facility Connects an Agrarian Past to a Lofty Future
The aspirations of a church to build facilities available to the new & growing North Redmond community, were embarked on as a synthesis of modern planning and agrarian traditions. Our team encouraged Washington Cathedral to approach the master plan design for the north-sloping 10 acre site immediately adjacent to Sammamish Valley farms, as would the homesteader before them: make common sense decisions based on the natural function of the land. Working with landscape architecture and civil engineering consultants who are leaders in the low impact development movement, we developed a plan that is topographically-driven so each structure will be built into a hillside landscape derived from natural surface water drainage patterns and deference to a bordering salmonid-bearing stream.

The first of five buildings to be executed under the master plan, the Randy & Rod Halvorson Re-Creation Center is a straightforward response to a diverse program in much the same manner as a traditional barn; using the sloping grade to optimize egress for the uses at different levels, and sheltering the whole under simple forms. The building program includes administration, assembly, a fellowship library, food service, gymnasium/worship space, as well as an indoor pool. Our conceptual design recognized the benefits of organizing circulation in a two-story atrium "indoor street", harkening to church nave origins, while providing natural light, passive cooling, and opportunities for chance meetings for the congregation on the way to the sanctuary. The latter is designed to accommodate three use modes: worship, court sports and play, and a professional-grade theater; through automated roll-out seating, flexible lighting, and custom sound reinforcement.