The new 5,000-square-foot chapel seats 150 and features a fully equipped kitchen, multipurpose room, gathering space and offices for staff. It is also fully accessible.
“It’s a vast improvement,” Burns said. “The size matches what we need here at Wright State.”
Although it is central to Wright State’s campus, the building is owned by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Burns said. The land it sits on was set aside by the Fred and Virginia Eisert family for Catholic ministry. At the time, there were only a few buildings nearby.
“Over time, the campus grew up right around us,” Burns said. “With all of the housing now that is around us, we have a really central location.”
Burns said the building, designed by The Collaborative Inc. of Toledo, uses cedar on the outside and is situated on the land to show the tree through glass used at the back of the chapel.
“It’s a beautiful backdrop,” Burns said.
The award selection committee chose the chapel because it is “like coming upon a jewel in the woods,” among other comments, said Kate Brunswick, director of services for the Ohio chapter. The award will be given on Sept. 19 at the AIA Ohio Valley Region Convention in Louisville, Ky.
The chapel was named after the St. John Bosco Home for Boys in Mandeville, Jamaica, where students have taken many trips since 1998, according to Wright State.
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