SAINT JOSEPH THE WORKER DAY CHAPEL

The design process for this intimately-scaled chapel for daily worship began with a research phase recognizing the rich history of the West Jordan, Utah, community this church serves. Located in the immediate vicinity is the Kennecott Copper Mine, the world’s largest open-pit mine. Working-class immigrants seeking employment settled in the area and built a small church that was originally located on this site.

Linking the historical with the spiritual, Saint Joseph - a carpenter often depicted with tools in his hands - is the Day Chapel’s namesake. In an effort to celebrate this rich cultural lineage, common materials confronted in daily life such as concrete, wood, copper and glass, were incorporated into the design of the chapel. These materials were then detailed to express the skill of the craftsman. Custom-bent, flat-lock copper panels and board-formed concrete were used on the exterior of the chapel thereby incorporating tangible references to the parish’s mining and construction history. The interior is of a single material, tongue-and-groove vertical-grain fir, from wall base to roof. In keeping with the design goal of sustainability, the Day Chapel, which is more frequently used than the main sanctuary, is thermally isolated thereby reducing the daily heating and cooling loads. Natural light enters through a single aperture; because the day chapel is such an intimate space, we felt that a single source of illumination was appropriate and because the skylight does not afford views to more than passing clouds, it reinforces the inward-looking nature of the space. The light entering the space also highlights the custom marble and steel contemporary altar furnishings designed by Sparano + Mooney Architecture.