Campbell Hall Center for Spiritual Practice
Pictured here is the chapel at Campbell Hall, an Episcopal (k-12) school in Los Angeles. This multi-faith chapel is designed to “set the table of worship” for each member of the school community, without sacrificing the potent symbolism of its diverse religious practices. It is an intimate, human-scaled place, where individual personal experience is paramount.

Winner: 2014 Faith and Form / IFRAA International Awards for Religious Art and Architecture

Design choices are meant to be more effective than notable; material choices and imagery meant to act upon the visitor, to be felt rather than read. Tactility, sensuality and simplicity turn the experience inward and away from the world outside without completely losing contact with it. All effort is given to enhance and focus the natural beauty of the light in the room.

The sanctuary can be configured with the altar as focus (below left) or ark as focus (below right)

Chapel entrance

Flower of Life pattern based on a 14th C. Egyption madrassa


Sanctuary in Altar configuration

Prayer desk (foreground), Cross window background

Prayer wall

Prayer Wall (detail)

Cross window at night

Altar

Limestone and stainless steel candlesticks

Altar is made of wood species found on campus (red gum, ash, oak)

"Folded wood" gives the sense of linen

Sanctuary in the Ark configuration

Ark exterior

Ark when open

Ark door inscription

Entrance to Meditation Room

Meditation Room interior

Meditation Room interior (looking back toward entrance)

Meditation Room water feature

Stainless steel, marble, wood

Water trickling over marble petals

Preparing a Pittosporum trunk for cutting


Leveling the trunk

Final cuts in marble carving

Welding inner shell structure


Polishing shell surface