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Site
39th and Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo,
CA.
Design Objectives:
Accessibility with Dignity
What is involved in a "wheelchair-accessible entry" project? If we take a more holistic approach than sticking a ramp on the front door, can we provide a dignified wheelchair-accessible entry for an aging congregation while also creating a new exterior fellowship area?
How can the existing Church building reach out and welcome arriving congregants? How can the work link the Church and its Memorial Garden? How can we make this NOT look like a "wheelchair-accessible entrance"?
Solution: Holistic Approach
Along with Landscape Architect Richard Schadt, Klopf Architecture envisioned this project as an opportunity to use exterior space and a simple overhang to make a "place" out of the existing back door.
Legibility:
The canopy, built similar to the style of the original 1950s Church, provides a visual anchor that screams "enter here!" - it is clearly visible from the parking lot, over 150 feet away.
Generosity: The garden courtyard and "ramp" are oversized, providing a road big enough to drive down that leads to a usable outdoor room. The room is for fellowship and double as an education space for the children. Benches line both sides of the courtyard to provide public, integrated resting areas for congregants.
Connection: Stairs at the end of the canopy lead straight up the hill to the existing Memorial Garden. Before this project was undertaken, people had to walk almost all the way back out to the parking lot and then back to the Memorial Garden. With the addition of the stairs, people can flow directly from the Sanctuary, under the canopy, and up to the Memorial Garden.
Collaborating Design Professional
Richard Schadt, Richard Schadt & Associates, Landscape Architect 415.221.8795
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