Saint Joseph's Cullinan Center

After helping with the design and construction of a parish building addition(supporting the parish food and supplies donated for Saint Vincent De Paul distributions), the parish pastor invited us to design a practical and delightful facility with 8 classrooms and public restrooms. 

In keeping with long term planning, today our classrooms are known as  "Kolbe School at  Saint Joseph Catholic Church" and are in daily use as an independent Catholic School recognized by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.

• The design includes a U-shaped arrangement of spaces around an outdoor activity courtyard. Collaborating with landscape architect Carol Shuler, the coutyard was designed as a future installation (with pavers, plantings, and benches) arranged for gatherings and special events.
• Materials and forms compliment the pre existing campus parapet structures with radial corners and exposed slump block masonry.
• The transition from outside to inside was established at each entry with a low cantilevered canopy and a wall finished with soft wood siding. Color was used to bring the nature from outside in to each classroom, by clear treating the wood walls and matching the green bark of the Palo Verdes at each classroom entry canopy.
• In each classroom, one of the four primary walls is a wall of floor to ceiling glass for bringing in natural light and outside views.