New Life Lutheran Church

New Life Lutheran Church

Dripping Springs, TX

Advanced Studio: Technical Communication
Fall 2013
Time: 16 weeks
Partner: Jack Liu
Instructor: Vincent Snyder

The New Life Church is a local Lutheran group in Dripping Springs. The specific site beside Highway 12 spans from east to west, open and broad. The old oak trees on site are considered the prominent outdoor chapel space. Therefore, the church building is experienced as embracing nature with the outdoor worship space being equally significant as the indoor space.

By inserting a series of new trees to integrate landscape as a whole, the site is experienced as a process of discovery. The church turns out to be a simple modest shape with curving gestures inside. The non-linear geometries on the interior indicate the hierarchy of roads on the exterior, which create a consistent landscape within the bigger picture of the site. The smooth transition from outdoor to indoor space happens at the same time as people are gradually led up to sanctuary with a view of the pure sky and oak trees beyond the horizon.