Fellowship Hall Renovations

The Design
The floor design was done after we decided that terrazzo was the most environmentally friendly, long lasting way to respect the budget and the building. Terazzo can do anything, so the options were overwhelming.  We wanted a floor that would not need to be replaced and so the design had to be timeless.  That took out any repeated pattern that would risk nodding to trends in design this year etc.  

The St. Andrew Inspiration
There was talk about a St Andrew cross or a middle emblem, but both depend on the sections being open in order to appreciate the design and would be awkwardly covered by various uses of the space.  For me, a design that was abstracted but still legible avoided the fear of obscuring it.  

The space is huge, so it had to have movement and I didnt want the space chopped up.  The flowy lines of the banners I made for ordinary time felt like a good place to start aesthetically, and I had positive feedback from parishioners, so felt that the parish would respond well to the theme.  Fish feel like a natural fit for St Andrew, a fisherman, and for a Christian gathering space, as we are called to be fishers of men.  There are 12 fish for the 12 disciples and they are being caught into a net that surrounds the entire room (read entire world/universal Church)  and draws them in from opposite corners (a message that obviously felt relevant).  I wanted the focal points to be at the kitchen, where folks tend to walk to get food and at the windows, where Vatican II directed us to let in the light.  The colors reflect nature but they had to be bright enough for children and elegant enough to host our more formal events.  I wanted the children and the adults to all feel the space was for them, but it needed to be beautiful because the folks who end up in overflow at our biggest masses should also feel like they are in a beautiful space where they can pray, and not in a cafeteria.  For that reason, I wanted the colors to work with the colors in the main Church. 

The Colors and Stones - A Nod to Our History and Location
I chose the greens first, but I grew up at St Andrew, so I also wanted to include a nod to the history of St Andrew, which was almost entirely a purple leaning mauve when it was built in the 80's.  We decided to remove the mauve when we renovated, but the mauve and deep purple fish in the floor are a nod to our past and our current church pews.  The gold and bronze fish nod to Gold as a liturgical color of both Christmas and Easter (for overflow masses).  For me, it was also intentional to put regal colors on the fish since they represent the apostles and they also represent the people who are the body of Christ.  Purple and gold are colors reserved historically for royalty and we are all beloved heirs to the kingdom of God.  Once I knew the colors that felt most appropriate, I adjusted their pallette to be sure they worked together and didnt follow any trends so they would stand the test of time.  It was important to me that the fish all be different to reflect the universal nature of the people of God. 

The aggregate in the floor varies from color to color, but all of the stones chosen are locally sourced.  In the main Church, the wood and granite are sourced from our region, and Laudato Si directed us to keep care for the environment at the heart of whatever building we do, so local stone was a priority.  The stones are mined in Georgia and the Carolinas.  

The walls could be a little more on trend since paint will be redone every now and again, so I went for a color drench, which surrounds the room with alternating colors that are the same tone so they are less a focal wall and more visual movement.  

The Future and Our Mission
The net is meant to hold us all together but it isn't full and it isn't closed.  This space is the outreach space, the education space, and the space where new folks come to be included in our community.  We can dance, feed each other, pray - all within the open net. It's a little reminder underfoot of who we are meant to be and what we are meant to do.  

The Artist
As for me and my background... My parents were founding members of St Andrew from the original St Michael crew.  Mom was choir director here for my entire childhood and Dad was a youth group leader for years.  I went to Catholic University and have a degree in Studio Art with concentrations in Philosophy and Religion.  I was a Magi Scholar, which is a scholarship for the study of liturgical art and I did my thesis on the Stations of the Cross.  I taught art and religion in a Catholic School in MD for a few years after graduating, but returned home to St Andrew in short order.  I worked in kitchen and bath design for several years and continue to do design work when the opportunity is right.  I am now a Realtor full time and head of Art and Environment at St Andrew, where I also serve on the building committee.  I am married to Robert Barrier and have two boys, Sam 12 and Charlie 14.