Parish Center Designed by domusstudio to Celebrate Groundbreaking June 27 at St. Elizabeth Seton

June 18, 2010 - PRLog -- An 18,443-square-foot Parish Center designed by domusstudio architecture for St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church will get under way June 27, when the church celebrates a groundbreaking ceremony on the five-acre site. The approximately $8 million project at Alga and El Fuerte in Carlsbad is expected to be completed in July 2011.

“We are excited to see another phase of St. Elizabeth Seton’s master plan coming together,” said Wayne Holtan, AIA, principal at domusstudio architecture. The leading San Diego architecture firm has an 18-year relationship with the Carlsbad church. “The new structure will better accommodate all the growth the church has experienced since the Sanctuary was completed in 1994. Their youth population alone has expanded two and a half times, and by 2011 they expect to have 1,000 students in religious education from kindergarten through 12th grade. The new Parish Hall will double the amount of available space for events and religious education classes at the church, meeting their growing needs and allowing the entire church community to gather more comfortably.”

Designed in a contemporary mission style to complement the domusstudio-designed Sanctuary, the two-story Parish Center features similar window shapes and sizes, colonnades, roof design and trellis work. The new building will be located just north of the Sanctuary’s existing courtyard and will include a 735-square-foot recreation room for the church’s youth group, which currently has no designated area for activities. In addition to the youth recreation room, the lower level of the new Parish Hall will have a conference room, five classroom/meeting rooms, a catering lounge, entry foyer and elevator access to the second floor.

The second story of St. Elizabeth Seton’s Parish Center will include: a large foyer with lounge seating area and fireplace for pre-function activities, as well as a 4,630-square-foot social hall. With high volume wood beamed ceilings, the social hall will have the flexibility to serve as a conference facility featuring dual large format presentation screens and advanced audio-visual features, or the ability to transform into a social event setting with dance floor, stage and dinner seating for over 300. Overlooking the campus outdoor plaza, the social hall is served by a commercial grade kitchen and buffet serving area and has ready access to a covered patio for overflow seating and gatherings.

“Like many of our liturgical projects, the new Parish Center for St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church is designed to be multi-purpose, to allow the members to maximize the spaces,” Holtan said. “And as part of a master plan we developed together with the church, the new building enhances the existing sanctuary and creates a cohesive campus community.”

CW Driver, the general contractor, was recently awarded the project after a thorough bid process, and the project is managed by Kruse Development Services, Inc. on behalf of the Diocese of San Diego.

The Sanctuary designed by domusstudio architecture earned three Orchids and the prestigious Grand Orchid award from the San Diego Architectural Foundation in 1997 and a citation from the San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Architects that same year.

domusstudio architecture is a 24-year-old architectural design firm specializing in religious facilities, fire stations, educational buildings, senior housing and custom residential projects. Founded in 1986 as Dominy + Associates, the firm strives to enhance the lives of people through architecture, interiors, planning and service.  For more information about its projects and services, call 619-692-9393 or visit http://www.domusstudio.com.

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