Studies in proportion and transformation: floating around a great cubic void.

A square window turns into a spatial object through the unfolding opening-operations that allow for increasing amounts of 'material' to enter the room: first light, then views, and finally air.

In the chapel, transformation relates to the way in which the structure engages the site with the program. The space of the chapel is defined as an empty volume (nothingness) surrounded by a wall which slowly unravels around it, describing the experience of entering a sacred zone. The wall starts as a heavy mass (housing the clergy quarters within the earth). As it turns, it loses its materiality: it is lifted, cut, bent, and finally removed, to allow the chapel to open its ‘soft’ inside to the soft protection of the forest. The chapel is located along the Erie Canal in Upstate NY.

chapel model at 1/8 scale window, superimposed the cube, floating study in proportion the cube, floating study in proportion the cube, floating study in proportion the cube, floating study in proportion chapel site plan chapel site model chapel site model chapel site model chapel half-basement plan - sunken clergy quarters chapel first floor plan chapel plan at higher level chapel roof plan chapel model at 1/8 scale chapel model at 1/8 scale chapel model at 1/8 scale chapel model at 1/8 scale chapel model at 1/8 scale chapel model at 1/8 scale chapel west elevation - sunken clergy quarters chapel south/front/canal elevation chapel east elevation - baptistry chapel interior elevation facing north/the forest/the altar chapel model at 1/8 scale square window closed chapel model at 1/8 scale chapel model at 1/8 scale chapel model at 1/8 scale