The body of my work spans some 12 years in Las Vegas Valley Nevada, Boise, Idaho and South Chicago, IL, and includes Christian church projects for seven denominations. I can honestly characterize my approach to building design inspiration always came from conversations and discussions of the committee and that I brought no agenda or preconceived image to a design (one exception: the pyramid). I am deeply grateful to those weekend workshops, and I remain openly dependent on them for input.
The commission for Our Lady of Las Vegas Catholic Church, was granted soon after Christ the King, but was a more traditional community than Catholic Church. My research centered mostly on Scripture and ancient Hebrew traditions and later the New Testament. A sharp-edged, Italianate influence fit in nicely regionally and the variety of interior finishes of wood, split-face block, marble, stucco suggested the scriptural vocabulary for symbols.
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The programming for Christ the King Catholic Community church in Las Vegas, Nevada emphasized the liturgical influence of Vatican II in its move away in 1963 from Roman to a more local approach to design. Especially with Christ the King, the liturgical practices of the community were community inspired; chairs in lieu of pews, use of dance in the liturgical celebration, a moveable altar, placement of the Eucharistic host in a 24-hour, meditation room, large Vestibule, Gathering Space; It was a truly innovative approach.
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The emphasis of Christ the Servant Lutheran Church was to create a small, bright and colorful space where the delight of the Christian message could shine. The pastor required a space that could be used for regional conferences for 250-400 people, and expandable into the social hall in the next room and over look a small prayer garden.
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Three events stand out as important and memorable in the First Christian -A Disciples of Christ church project in Las Vegas, NV. First, Discovery of the importance of deep listening in any design project. Second, the discovery of an underground river in the middle of the Las Vegas desert, 8 feet from surface, keeping a field of Bermuda grass alive for twenty years and Third, how a glass pyramid can serve can serve so many purposes.
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The design Parti was based on a simple idea, the main space in the center with a space cutout through the perimeter to enter the building. The remaining perimeter was classrooms, restrooms, kitchen, offices, storage, etc. The structure was a simple, an expandable gable end, corresponding to the taller space in the center Worship space and the smaller classroom at the low edge of the gable.
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St. Timothy Episcopal Church grew out of the ashes of a fire that destroyed their original church on a small site in downtown Henderson, Nevada. The message with this project was that it was the birthplace of the Identity workshop as a source of group programming for building design.
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This was the first phase of an ambitious master plan for Vineyard that included a large 800 seat auditorium, a Family life Center, K thru 8 school and day care center and offices. The site was reasonably priced land adjacent to the major freeway that runs north and south through Las Vegas and accessible from the access west to Parumph, behind a large neighborhood casino/hotel.
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