The Journey Within
2025 ACSF Competition
Bluebell Park, Philadelphia PA
Situated within a wooded public park, this project reimagines spiritual architecture as a shared, non-denominational experience rooted in movement and reflection. The building is embedded into the landscape, emerging gradually along an existing path to emphasize procession and transition rather than monumentality. Light, material, and structure work together to create an atmosphere defined by walking, pausing, and quiet awareness, allowing the space to support both individual and collective moments of reflection without reliance on religious iconography.
Concept - Spaces Within Spaces
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Master Site Plan
The project explores how architecture can respond to the nature of human movement, transforming everyday circulation into an act of awareness and self-reflection. Located within a preexisting clearing, the building is exposed to shifting sunlight throughout the year, ensuring that no two visits are experienced in the same way. Spaces intentionally bleed into one another, drawing conceptual inspiration from Dante’s Inferno, where progression and descent introduce new spatial and emotional conditions.
Legend:
1. Classroom 1
2. Secondary Vestibules
3. Classroom 2
4. Restroom
5.Admin. Office
6. Chapel
7. Service Entrance
8. Service Vestibule
9. Lighting Room
10. Mechanical Room
11. Storage
12. Sanctuary
13 Main Vestibules
14. Entrances
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Bringing this idea to life required a careful examination of the tectonic implications of partially burying and berming the building to create a sense of entering a distinct spatial realm. The design integrates gentle, ADA-accessible ramps that guide visitors downward, ensuring all users share a similar experience of movement and transition.
Structural Exploration Sketches
Fall Equinox 8am
Spring Equinox 8am
Summer Solstice 8am
Summer Solstice 12pm
Fall Equinox 12pm
Summer Solstice 4pm
Spring Equinox 12pm
Spring Equinox 4pm
Fall Equinox 12pm
Winter Solstice 12pm
Retaining Wall Detail:
1. Growth Layer
2. Bermed Earth
3. Drainage Mat
4. 2" XPS Board Insulation
5. Waterproof Membrane
6. Vapor Barrier
7. 24" Concrete Retaining Wall
8. Rebar
9. Gravel layer
10. 8" Drainage Pipe
11. 1" Douglas Fir Finish Panel
12. 1" Air Gap
13. 2"x2" Studs
14. 1" Plywood Sheathing
15. 5" Mineral Wool Insulation
16. 5/8" Stone Floor Tiles
17. 2" Tile Rigid Insulation
18. Tile System Steel Framing
19. 36" Plenum
20. Steel Piers
21. 12" Concrete Slab
22. 9"x4" Strap Footing
23. 4" XPS Board
24. 6" Gravel Layer
25. 18" Compacted Earth
Hallway View towards Entrances
Support Space Skylight Detail:
1. Double Pane Glass Panel
2. 7" Steel Framing
3. 2" Rigid insulation
4. 4" Gravel Layer w drainage Channel
5. Vegetation Layer
6. 7" Growth Medium
7. Filter Fabric
8. 1" Drainage Mat
9. .25" Root Barrier
10. Waterproof Membrane
11. 8" Mineral Wool Insulation
12. 1" Douglas Fir Finish
13. 1"x4" Wooden Beams
14. Resilient Channels
15. 2"x8" Wooden Joists
Support Space Section
Light Study Model
Main Entrance View